India defeated Afghanistan by an innings and 300 runs in the teams’ one-off Test match on Monday after dismissing Afghanistan twice inside three days.
Afghanistan, asked to follow on after conceding a 412-run first-innings deficit, were bowled out for 112 in their second innings after scoring 152 in the first, giving India one of the most comprehensive victories in recent Test cricket.
India had earlier declared their first innings at 564 for 8 in 127 overs, powered by centuries from Shubman Gill and KL Rahul.
For Afghanistan, Rahmat Shah was the standout performer with the bat. He top-scored with 60 in the first innings and brought up a fighting half-century against a dominant Indian bowling attack, registering his sixth Test fifty.
Afghanistan’s first innings ended at 152, leaving them 412 runs behind. The visitors reached 18 without loss by lunch on the third day after being asked to follow on, but were unable to mount a meaningful recovery and were eventually dismissed for 112.
Despite the heavy defeat, Mohammad Saleem Safi delivered a notable performance with the ball. Playing only his second Test match, the fast bowler claimed six wickets in India’s first innings, finishing with figures of 6 for 140. Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi picked up one wicket each.
The match highlighted the gap between the two sides in the longest format, with India dominating from the opening day and maintaining control throughout the contest.
Afghanistan will take encouragement from Saleem’s six-wicket haul and Rahmat Shah’s battling half-century, but the result marked a difficult outing against one of the world’s strongest Test teams.
