IND vs AFG One-Off Test: India, as expected, defeated Afghanistan in this one-off test in Mullanpur. The hosts, while being on their way to a special win, broke the record for their largest victory in the format. The Shubman Gill-led side registered a win by an innings and 300 runs. Earlier, the record for the largest win by India in test cricket was an innings and 272 runs against the West Indies in 2018. After Shubman Gill and KL Rahul scored centuries, India was powered to a mammoth total of 564 runs with half-centuries from Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, and Washington Sundar. However, it was Manav Suthar who shone on his debut. The left-arm spinner picked up seven wickets, which included six wickets in the first innings.
IND vs AFG: India’s largest victories in test cricket
| Margin of Victory | Opponent | Year |
| Innings & 300 Runs | Afghanistan | 2026 |
| Innings & 272 Runs | West Indies | 2018 |
| Innings & 262 Runs | Afghanistan | 2018 |
| Innings & 239 Runs | Bangladesh | 2007 |
| Innings & 239 Runs | Sri Lanka | 2017 |
| Innings & 222 Runs | Sri Lanka | 2022 |
IND vs AFG: Manav Suthar shines on debut
On Monday, Manav Suthar, making his debut, created history by taking six wickets to help India force the follow-on on Day 3 of the one-off Test after dismissing Afghanistan for 152 in the first innings. The 23-year-old Rajasthan all-rounder became just the tenth Indian bowler and seventh spinner to take five wickets in his Test debut with stats of 6 for 33 from 22 overs. With his statistics rating as the second-best by an Indian bowler on Test debut behind Narendra Hirwani’s iconic 8 for 61 against the West Indies in 1988, Suthar’s match-defining performance also won him a spot in the record books. In the meantime, Suthar, who looks up to Ravichandran Ashwin, surpassed the former off-spinner on the list of Indian bowlers with the best test debut numbers.
IND vs AFG: Shubman Gill, KL Rahul star with bat
Early in the match, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul registered centuries. The Indian skipper, playing in his hometown, scored his 11th hundred in the format. He made 123 runs and looked absolutely spotless for the better part of his knock. The only blemishes in his knock came once he reached the triple-digit mark. Meanwhile, Rahul scored a ton in the third session of the first day. The right-handed batter had a struggle in the early part of his innings. Even after his innings, the opening batter talked about the struggle of transitioning to test cricket from T20Is.
IND vs AFG: Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan, and Washington Sundar made handy contributions
Sai Sudharsan and Rishabh Pant made identical scores. The two left-handed batters registered fifties and were dismissed 19 runs short of centuries. Meanwhile, Washington Sundar had an all-round effort with both bat and ball. He scored an unbeaten fifty to power India to a score of 564 runs. With the ball in his hand, Sundar picked up five wickets across the two innings.
Pragun is a passionate cricket follower and writer who deeply loves the game. Having completed his education with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has an experience of almost two years in diverse fields. He is known for his statistical and analytical articles. Pragun tries to bring life to his articles by adding a layer of enthusiasm from the perspective of a hardcore fan. Apart from writing cricket articles, he sometimes appears on YouTube videos on a friend’s podcast.
