Afghanistan endured a challenging final session to end Day 2 of the one-off Test against India in Mullanpur at a precarious 113/5. The visitors found themselves firmly on the back foot, trailing India's monumental first-innings total of 564/8 declared by a massive 451 runs. The Indian bowling attack wasted no time capitalizing on the scoreboard pressure, leaving the Afghan batting lineup with a mountain to climb heading into the third day.
Manav Suthar pesters Afghanstani batters on Day 2
It was debutant Manav Suthar who stole the limelight with his spin artistry, putting the hosts in complete control on the second day. The declaration came shortly after Washington Sundar notched a pressure-free half-century, during which he shared a highly useful 54-run partnership with Suthar, who contributed a brisk 28 off 41 balls with the bat.
By the time stumps were drawn, Afghanistan were tottering at 113 for 5, heavily undone by Suthar’s exceptional bowling display of 3 for 21 across 15.5 disciplined overs. Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna provided excellent support from the other end, acting as the only other wicket-taker of the innings with figures of 2 for 27 in 7 overs. With the visitors struggling to find their footing, the dominant hosts walked off the field holding a massive lead of 451 runs.
Manav Suthar's spin artistry on full display
Suthar's dream debut truly came alive when he was summoned to bowl the final over just before the tea break, having already warmed up nicely with his short yet sweet maiden Test knock. He struck immediately to remove opener Abdul Malik, who attempted to sweep his way out of trouble after looking completely clueless against the first three deliveries of the over. Suthar caught him off guard by pushing the ball through straight; it bounced a tad extra, turning Malik's attempted sweep into an awkward, unsuccessful hoick.
He then showed great tactical maturity against dangerous top-order batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz, refusing to let the former KKR opener get onto the front foot. After drawing Gurbaz into defending a sequence of straight deliveries, Suthar unleashed a brilliant variation from the exact same spot. The ball dipped late and turned away sharply, kissing the edge of Gurbaz's bat before settling safely into the hands of Sai Sudharsan at second slip.
Suthar capped off his memorable day by claiming his third and final wicket through sheer deception. He extracted extra bounce off the pitch, causing the ball to stick on the surface just as Afsar Zazai closed the face of his bat too early. The resulting loopy leading edge floated straight back to the bowler, gifting Suthar an easy return catch and cementing a spectacular day on the field for the young debutant.
Shubman Gill's tactical acumen works in India's favour
Indian skipper Shubman Gill showed astute tactical awareness by allowing the debutant Manav Suthar to bowl an unchanged 13-over spell from one end. While Suthar maintained relentless pressure, Gill continuously rotated his other bowling options—shuffling through Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Kuldeep Yadav from the opposite end. If Suthar's highly impressive initiation into the Test arena is any indication, the Indian selectors can breathe a sigh of relief, as he promises a smooth transition for the national team whenever Ravindra Jadeja is eventually phased out of the red-ball format.
ALSO READ: Ricky Ponting discloses how he endorsed Shreyas Iyer for India's T20I captaincy role to selectors
Rishabh Pant burns bright again
Earlier in the match, Rishabh Pant answered his critics in the best possible manner by playing a stroke-filled knock of 81. In front of a sparse Sunday crowd, Pant showcased his trademark flair but also displayed commendable maturity. He actively curbed his natural instinct to attack every delivery, instead treating the ball on its merit during a disciplined 121-ball stay that featured six boundaries and three sixes. He seemed destined for a well-deserved century, but debutant left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote outsmarted him by considerably slowing down his pace. Pant charged down the track but failed to reach the pitch of the ball, resulting in a lofted miscue that ballooned up for a simple catch.
For the visiting bowling side, Afghanistan pacer Mohammad Saleem reaped the rewards of his hard labor in punishing weather conditions, finishing with commendable figures of 6 for 140. In the first hour of the second morning, Saleem provided a massive breakthrough by dismissing the Indian skipper for 126. He bowled a absolute beauty that pitched on a full length on the off-stump channel, drawing Gill forward before a hint of outward movement took the outside edge, successfully breaking a massive 169-run partnership. Saleem struck again later to dismiss Dhruv Jurel for 19; though Jurel played some beautiful shots square of the wicket, Saleem got the ball to reverse-swing, clipping the off-stump after Jurel mistakenly opted to leave it on length.
Conversely, Afghanistan's IPL star Azmatullah Omarzai was distinctly unlucky throughout the innings. He looked highly impressive with the second new ball, beating the bat on numerous occasions without any reward. In fact, Pant had actually edged an Omarzai delivery early on—much like KL Rahul did on the opening day—but the Afghanistan team failed to appeal for a caught-behind, despite television replays clearly showing a distinct snick.
While Pant's eventual dismissal left the crowd high and dry just as they were anticipating fireworks against the spinners, India's lower order ensured the momentum stayed with the hosts. Washington Sundar and Manav Suthar stitched together a crucial 54-run partnership for the seventh wicket to comfortably propel the team past the 500-run milestone. With the Afghan bowlers visibly tiring, Washington calmly rotated the strike and dispatched the occasional six, bringing up a fine half-century right before skipper Gill signaled for the declaration.