Rishabh Pant reaches his personal milestone as Day 1 comes to a close in the one-off Test between India and Afghanistan in Mullanpur. KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill, and Pant made merry with the bat, scoring plenty of runs, which sees India in a dominant spot in the Test. Rahul scored his 12th hundred, while Gill is unbeaten after reaching his 11th ton. Sudharsan fell after scoring his third half-century, while Pant remains unbeaten after scoring his 19th. For Afghanistan, Mohammad Saleem Safi stood out claiming two wickets.
100! A captain's knock indeed by Shubman Gill, that too in front of his home crowd in Mullanpur. The elegant right-hander in his innings has accelerated smoothly under grueling summer conditions, combining his signature cover drives with punishing leg-side sweeps. Gill's 11th Test hundred came off 138 balls, which include 11 fours and a solitary six
Since the fall of KL Rahul's innings, the run-rate has sky-rocketed thanks to Rishabh Pant's entry in the middle. Both Pant and Shubman Gill are making their bat do all the talking in the middle, adding 83 off 88 balls for the fourth wicket, with the latter nearing a ton, while the former is on 32, enroute a half-century.
FIFTY! Shubman Gill has notched up ninth Test half-century, taking just 68 balls to reach the milestone. Gill has looked aggressive in the middle, which is evident with the batter hitting seven fours and six in his innings.
KL Rahul's innings comes to an end on 100, just a ball after the batter reached his 12th Test hundred for India. A lapse in concentration for the opener, who looked solid during his 165-ball stay in the middle. Ziaur Rahman Sharifi toil comes to fruition as the bowler claims his first wicket of the match.
The commencement of the final session of Day 1, sees Indian batters KL Rahul and Shubman Gill eye swift runs. KL Rahul is nearing his 12th Test hundred, while Gill is slowly inching towards his 9th half-century in the format. The grind for Afghanistan bowlers continues in the middle, with no assistance from the surface or conditions.
TEA! And another session, where India find themselves in commanding position. KL Rahul continues to make merry, and is nearing 12th Test hundred. Captain Shubman Gill has joined Rahul in the middle, and has already raced to 20 off 28, which include 4 fours. Saleem Safi is the only bright light in Afghanistan's dark Day 1.
Sai Sudharsan after getting reprieve on 59, fell for 81, missing on his maiden Test ton by 19 runs. Sudharsan batted for 104 balls, which included 13 fours, before handing a simple catch to wicket-keeper Afsar Zaizai off Saleem Safi's bowling trying to drive the ball. Sudharsan added 139 runs for the second wicket with KL Rahul.
FIFTY! Sai Sudharan reaches his half-century, coming off just 67 balls, which has ensured India maintains a high-scoring rate. This is Sudharsan's third Test fifty, which will go a long way cementing his place in the side, given the competition on the bench.
FIFTY! This is a solid knock by KL Rahul, who continues his good form in Test from the IPL 2026. Rahul reached his 21st Test fifty in 86 balls, which include seven fours. Meanwhile, Sai Sudharsan, too is nearing his half-century, which will be his third in the format for India.
India National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team: The second-ever Test match between India and Afghanistan commenced on 6 June 2026 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh. This non-Championship fixture marks the first-ever Test match hosted at the Mullanpur venue, which recently transition from its colourful IPL 2026 branding into traditional Test whites. Led by captain Shubman Gill, the Indian side entered the contest looking to hit the reset button on their red-ball format following a 0–2 series defeat against South Africa in November 2025. India vs Afghanistan Live Streaming Online and Free Telecast, One-Off Test 2026.
The scheduling presents a unique physical challenge for the hosts, as the squad had to adjust from T20 white-ball cricket to the rigorous five-day format just six days after the conclusion of the IPL 2026 final. Head coach Gautam Gambhir has utilized this exhibition match to test bench strength and blood fresh domestic talent, confirming a long-term opportunity at the number three spot for Sai Sudharsan and bringing uncapped spin options into the squad framework. On the other side, an ambitious but rested Afghanistan squad took the field under skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi, aiming to showcase their steady cricketing growth despite missing the services of veterans Rashid Khan and Ibrahim Zadran. IND vs AFG One-Off Test 2026 Preview: Key Battles, Head to Head And All You Need To Know.
Historically, this fixture serves as only the second time the two nations have locked horns in the longest format of the game. Their previous and inaugural meeting took place in June 2018 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, where India registered a comprehensive victory by an innings and 262 runs. On that occasion, centuries from Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay powered India to a mammoth first-innings total of 474, before a lethal bowling display bundled out the touring Afghan side for 109 and 103 across both innings to wrap up the match inside two days.
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