IND vs AFG Test: Team India in strong position, needs 15 wickets to win. Match could end today.
The decision to bat first after winning the toss proved right for the Indian team. The opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul gave the team a steady start, adding 41 runs for the first wicket. Jaiswal was out for 24 runs.
After that, KL Rahul, along with Sai Sudarshan, stabilized the innings. The two shared a crucial partnership of 139 runs for the second wicket. Sudarshan played a brilliant innings of 81 runs with the help of 13 fours.
Captain Shubman Gill, along with KL Rahul, carried the score forward. They added 67 runs for the third wicket. Meanwhile, KL Rahul completed his century and returned to the pavilion after scoring 100 runs.
Following this, an explosive partnership was witnessed between captain Gill and Rishabh Pant. The duo added 169 runs for the fourth wicket, steering Team India towards a colossal score.
Gill played a captain's knock of 126 runs off 177 balls with 16 boundaries. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant, playing in his aggressive style, scored 81 runs with 3 sixes and 6 fours.
In the end, Washington Sundar also scored a half-century and remained unbeaten on 52. India declared their first innings at 564 for 8. For Afghanistan, Mohammad Salim Saifi was the most successful bowler, taking 6 wickets.
In reply to India's huge score, Afghanistan's start was extremely poor. The team lost its first wicket of Abdul Malik (16) at a mere score of 28.
The fall of wickets continued thereafter. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (12) and Sedikullah Atal (17) also returned to the pavilion quickly. The team kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
The Indian bowlers kept the Afghan batsmen under complete pressure. Young spinner Manav Suthar showcased his magic, taking 3 important wickets for just 21 runs.
He was well supported by Prasidh Krishna, who claimed 2 wickets. By the end of the second day's play, Afghanistan had scored 113 runs for the loss of 5 wickets.
A cricket expert said, "Given the way the Indian bowlers have built pressure, it is almost impossible for Afghanistan to make a comeback. Team India is heading towards a big victory."
Rahmat Shah was unbeaten at the crease on 43, and the team will be hoping for a big innings from him. However, Afghanistan is still far from saving the follow-on.
The Indian team now needs to take 15 Afghan wickets to win this match. This includes 5 wickets from the first innings and 10 from the second.
There are 90 overs to be bowled on the third day, and considering the way the Indian bowlers are performing, this target does not seem difficult. There is a high probability that the Indian team will win the match today itself.
The Mullanpur pitch is assisting the bowlers, making the path even more difficult for the Afghan batsmen. Team India will aim to win this match by an innings and a large margin.
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