Shubman Gill Hashmatullah Shahidi at IND vs ENG Toss. Image Credits: BCCI
In a significant development, India won the toss and elected to bat first in the one-off Test match against Afghanistan at the Mullanpur Stadium in New Chandigarh. After winning the toss, Indian captain Shubman Gill stated that his side would bat first in order to capitalise on the playing conditions.
Spin bowling allrounder Manav Suthar earned a well-deserved Test cap, while India fielded a combination of six proper batters, two allrounders and three bowlers for the one-off Test against Afghanistan.
Manav Suthar has played 29 First-Class matches, scoring 945 runs and scalping 129 wickets. The promising cricketer amassed 125 runs and bagged 18 wickets at a superb strike rate of 37 in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26.
He replaces Ravindra Jadeja in the Indian playing XI, as the veteran allrounder has been rested for the one-off encounter. Suthar pipped Harsh Dubey, who was also a strong contender to represent the Indian Test side in Ravindra Jadeja's absence.
IND Vs AFG Captains' thoughts
"We are going to bat first. It is very hot here so the wicket will get slower as the game goes on. The surface looks good and it is obviously a little dry because of the excess heat out here. It feels very special. I grew up not far from here. I always wanted to play close to home and it is a great opportunity to captain my team at my home town," Shubman Gill stated.
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"The preparation has been pretty good actually. The only challenge has been the sleep schedule. From sleeping late at nights to getting up early now for the match is the only challenge. "
"However, the boys have got a good couple of days of rest and everyone is raring to go. We have 9 Test matches after this. Out of which 5 are at home. The conditions at Sri Lanka will be similar as well. We just want to get things in order as a batting group," the India captain concluded.
"If you want me to be honest, we wanted to bat first as well, because the wicket looks good. Anyhow, the toss is not in our hands. We need to start very well. As you said, we don't get enough chances in Test cricket. But we are ready for the challenge," Hashmatullah Shahidi said.
IND Vs AFG playing XIs
KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal will spearhead the Indian top order alongside Sai Sudharsan, who gets another opportunity to prove his mettle at number three. With Devdutt Padikkal breathing down his neck, Sudharsan must perform against Afghanistan to retain his place in the Indian playing XI.
Captain Shubman Gill will bat at number four, followed by Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel and Washington Sundar in the subsequent positions. Manav Suthar will assist Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav as far as India's spin bowling department is concerned.
Talking about Afghanistan, the tourists will miss the services of Ibrahim Zadran. Led by Hashmatullah Shahidi, the Afghans will heavily rely on Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah, Sharafuddin Ashraf and Nangeyalia Kharote to challenge the Indians in their backyard.
India playing XI vs Afghanistan: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Afghanistan Playing XI vs India: Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Afsar Zazai (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangeyalia Kharote, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, Mohammad Saleem Safi
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