IND vs AFG One-Off Test: The Indian cricket team is all set to host Afghanistan in a historic one-off Test match at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur and the focus now shifts heavily towards the red ball credentials of the visitors. Afghanistan has a reputation around the world as a very powerful explosive force in short-form games, but its journey in the gruelling arena of Test match cricket is still in its early stages of development. The Asian side has played a very sparse red-ball schedule since being granted coveted ICC Full Member status in June 2017 averaging about one to two Test fixtures per calendar year.
Afghanistan’s Overall Test Record
Afghanistan have played 12 Tests in all since their formal adoption of the format in 2018 as they take to the pitch in New Chandigarh for this solitary Test encounter.
-
Matches Played: 12
-
Wins: 4
-
Losses: 7
-
Draws: 1
-
Win Percentage: 33.33%
A strange anomaly in Afghanistan’s Test history is that they have not enjoyed any real home advantage. They have never been able to play a Test match on Afghan soil, due to myriad logistical and security constraints. They have played 5 away fixtures and 7 at designated neutral venues (mainly across India and UAE).
Head-to-Head vs India
The upcoming match at New Chandigarh will be just the second meeting between India and Afghanistan in red-ball cricket in the history of the sport.
| Opponent | Matches | Won | Lost | Drawn |
| India | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
The two sides met only once before, during Afghanistan’s emotional first game, when they faced off in June 2018 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. That encounter was a one-sided affair in history with a dominant Indian side routing the debutants by a huge margin of an innings and 262 runs in less than two days play.
Groundbreaking Team & Individual Records
Despite their limited sample size of matches, Afghanistan has registered several outstanding team and individual milestones:
-
The Quickest Win: Thrashed by India in their debut, Afghanistan made a stunning comeback beating Ireland by 7 wickets in their second Test ever in Dehradun (March 2019). This matched the world record for the fastest a nation has recorded its maiden Test win.
-
Highest Team Total: They amassed an imposing 699 all out against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo in December 2024.
-
Highest Individual Score: Incumbent captain Hashmatullah Shahidi holds the gold standard, anchoring that same 2024 Zimbabwe test with a magnificent, unbeaten 246*, making him the first Afghan double-centurion.
-
Leading Wicket Taker: Maestro Rashid Khan sits comfortably at the top of their bowling charts, claiming 45 Test scalps at an exceptional average of 20.44.
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
