India firm grip on one-off Test in Mullanpur despite spirited Afghanistan fightback

India tightened their grip on the one-off Test against Afghanistan after posting 564/8 declared and reducing the visitors to a precarious position by stumps on Day 2. Debutant spinner Manav Suthar starred with the ball and picked up three wickets on Day 2.

In Short

• Afghanistan trailed India by 451 runs at the end of Day 2
• Spinner Manav Suthar picked up 3 wickets to hand India control in Mullanpur
• Afghanistan pacer Saleem Safi impressed with a 6-wicket spell

Shubman Gill's India tightened their grip on the one-off Test against Afghanistan in the baking heat of Mullanpur on Sunday, June 7. A combination of quality cricket and costly decision-making errors ensured that the gap between the two sides widened considerably, even though the contest could easily have taken a different turn.

India declared their first innings on 564/8 before unleashing their bowling attack on the inexperienced Afghan batting line-up. The visitors' lack of exposure to red-ball cricket was evident early in their innings when opener Abdul Malik attempted to sweep debutant spinner Manav Suthar against the new ball, only to top-edge the delivery to Mohammed Siraj at backward square leg.

IND vs AFG Highlights: One-off Test Day 2

Sustained pressure from Suthar and Prasidh Krishna reduced Afghanistan to a precarious position by stumps, leaving the visitors staring at a substantial first-innings deficit.

The story of Day 2 can be split into three distinct parts, each of which had a major bearing on the flow of the match.

The morning session belonged, and yet did not belong, to Afghanistan. The visitors bowled superbly for long periods but undermined their own efforts with poor use of the Decision Review System.

Mohammad Saleem Safi was the standout performer for Afghanistan. The right-arm pacer combined raw pace with discipline to claim six wickets after toiling for 27 overs in temperatures hovering around 38-39 degrees Celsius.

Despite conceding 140 runs, Safi removed several of India's key batters and ensured the hosts did not run away with the game entirely.

UMPIRING ERRORS COST AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan would have been in a far stronger position had a few crucial decisions gone their way. Equally, they only had themselves to blame for failing to challenge decisions that were clearly worth reviewing.

The two biggest moments came in the same over from Azmatullah Omarzai, who once again impressed with his discipline and control.

The first involved Shubman Gill. Omarzai trapped the India captain plumb in front, but the on-field umpire turned down a loud appeal.

Replays later confirmed that the ball would have crashed into middle and leg stump. The decision not to give Gill out was questionable, although the ball striking both pads may have contributed to the umpire's uncertainty.

What followed was even more baffling.

Despite a confident appeal from the entire team, Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi chose not to review.

The very next ball produced an even bigger opportunity.

Bowling from around the wicket, Omarzai induced an outside edge from Rishabh Pant. The ball carried cleanly to the wicketkeeper, prompting another loud appeal that was turned down.

For the second ball in a row, Afghanistan declined to review.

Replays later suggested Pant had indeed edged the delivery.

Just four overs into the day, Afghanistan had missed opportunities to dismiss both Gill and Pant. Had those wickets fallen, India may well have been restricted to a far smaller total.

INDIA POST COMMANDING FIRST-INNINGS TOTAL

India began the second morning with a clear objective: increase the scoring rate and push the game beyond Afghanistan's reach.

Gill and Pant looked to attack from the outset, and that intent filtered through the rest of the batting order after their departures.

The Afghan bowlers, however, deserve significant credit for the way they fought back.

Apart from Pant, who fell for 81 while attempting to take on Shahidi, India's batters were largely dismissed by high-quality deliveries rather than reckless strokeplay.

Safi led the charge with six wickets, while the supporting bowlers continued to ask questions of the Indian line-up throughout the day.

Washington Sundar registered the sixth half-century of his Test career, while Mohammed Siraj chipped in with a useful late cameo that pushed India's total beyond the 550-run mark.

With around 40 minutes remaining before Tea, Gill finally called his batters in at 564/8 after 127 overs, setting the stage for India's bowlers to take control of the match.

SUTHAR PICKS 3 IN BAKING CHANDIGARH HEAT

Afghanistan's players spent most of Day 2 toiling under the scorching Chandigarh sun before finally getting their chance to bat. According to The Indian Express, the heat was so intense that many of the few spectators present chose to sit in the upper tiers of the stadium, sacrificing better views for seats that offered some shade.

Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna started well with the new ball, but it was debutant Manav Suthar who soon stole the spotlight.

The left-arm spinner impressed with his drift and sharp turn despite operating with the new ball. Suthar struck in the very first over of his Test career and continued to trouble the Afghanistan batters throughout the day.

He finished with three wickets, dismissing Abdul Malik, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Afsar Zazai in a superb spell that left Afghanistan reeling at 113/5 at stumps.

Day 2 put India firmly in control of the one-off Test match. With Afghanistan still trailing by 451 runs, the hosts will likely have the option of enforcing the follow-on if they wrap up the innings quickly on Monday.

The outlook remains bleak for the visitors, although Rahmat Shah provided some resistance with an unbeaten 43 off 81 balls at the close of play.

With the pitch beginning to show signs of wear and India's bowlers finding increasing assistance, Afghanistan face an uphill task to survive Day 3 and keep themselves in the contest.

- Ends