IND vs AFG: KL Rahul-Shubman Gill's tons steer India to robust 368/3 against Afghanistan on Day 1

India completely dominated the opening day of the one-off Test match against Afghanistan, ending play in a dominant position of 368/3 in Mullanpur. The day belonged to the contrasting yet equally brilliant centuries from KL Rahul and skipper Shubman Gill, who combined technical mastery with flair in their bid to completely out-bat Afghanistan. Facing a spirited but heavily outmatched bowling attack, the Indian batters dictated the terms of play from the very first session.

KL Rahul, Shubman Gill's ton put India on top

KL Rahul provided the perfect anchor for the innings, grinding out a flawless 100 off 165 balls while putting on an exhibition on the value of a solid defense. In stark contrast, captain Shubman Gill was the personification of intent, treating the Test match almost like a routine practice session. Gill’s signature lazy elegance and languid approach were on full display as he effortlessly took the tired Afghan attack apart, hammering 11 boundaries and a towering straight six. The Indian skipper remained unbeaten on 103 off 143 balls, registering the 11th century of his 41-Test career.

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Sai Sudharsan's misses shot at century

While the centurions grabbed the headlines, opener Sai Sudharsan will certainly rue missing out on a triple-figure mark of his own. Despite being handed two lifelines by the fielding side, Sudharsan was dismissed for a fluent 81 off 104 balls. Following the platform set by the top three, Rishabh Pant walked out to compound Afghanistan's misery, casually smashing three effortless sixes on his way to an unbeaten half-century off just 70 balls.

With absolute control of the match established, India's strategic blueprint for Day 2 seems clear. The hosts are unlikely to bat for more than a session and a half on Sunday morning before dynamic skipper Gill triggers a declaration. From there, the stage will be set for India's premier spin troika to be unleashed on the Afghanistan batting order on a wearing track.

On a grueling opening day for Afghanistan's bowling unit, paceman Mohammad Saleem emerged as the most statistically successful bowler, picking up 2/67 across his 13 overs. However, it was his pace colleague Ziaur Rahman who stood out as the most threatening bowler on display. Despite returning figures of 1/61 in 15 overs, Ziaur consistently beat the bat and troubled the Indian star-studded lineup without getting the rewards his accurate spell deserved.

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In fact, Ziaur could have dismissed KL Rahul very early in his innings if wicketkeeper Afsar Zazai had appealed for a caught-behind opportunity; television replays later confirmed a distinct edge. Capitalizing on this lucky reprieve, an unflappable Rahul locked in to compile his 12th Test century. His classy knock featured 11 elegant boundaries, highlighted by crisp cover drives, his signature on-drives, and a magnificent straight drive. Throughout his stay, Rahul was content playing within himself, anchoring the innings and allowing Sai Sudharsan to play the aggressor during their lucrative 139-run partnership for the second wicket. This stand was crucial in steadying the ship after Yashasvi Jaiswal threw his wicket away for 24, feathering an innocuous delivery down the leg-side in the first hour of play.

Sudharsan, meanwhile, enjoyed his own share of good fortune, riding his luck after being dropped twice—first in the slips off left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote, and later off Ziaur when the ball famously flew right between the keeper and first slip. The young opener looked thoroughly comfortable against the Afghan pace attack, repeatedly whipping them through the mid-wicket region. However, just as a maiden Test century seemed well within his grasp, Sudharsan tented an expansive drive at an over-pitched delivery from Saleem, only to be smartly snapped up by Zazai behind the stumps for 81. Rahul followed him back to the pavilion shortly after; having patiently taken 164 balls to reach his milestone, he drove uppishly off the very next ball from Ziaur to gift a simple catch to the cover fielder.

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Gill finds a perfect ally in Pant

The final session belonged entirely to Gill and Rishabh Pant, whose dynamic fourth-wicket partnership proved to be the most entertaining phase of the day. The duo added a quick-fire 121 runs, leaving a bruised and exhausted Afghan bowling attack completely battered in the scorching North Indian heat. Gill’s short-arm pull was a purist's delight, and his cover drives oozed class, while he and Pant rotated the strike with absolute ease. The onslaught forced Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi to spread his field deep to protect the boundaries, which only allowed the Indian pair to pick up easy singles.

A significant part of Afghanistan's structural struggle stemmed from a severely depleted spin department. With their top three world-class spinners unavailable due to their lucrative T20 league commitments worldwide, the backup options looked vastly out of their depth. Left-arm spinner Kharote leaked 95 runs in his 20 wicketless overs, while off-spinner Abdul Malik went for 37 in just six overs, lacking the variations and tactical discipline to restrict the hosts. Though India never resorted to reckless slogging, they still accumulated boundaries with alarming frequency, finishing the day with an emphatic 42 fours and 4 sixes.