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India Vs Afghanistan, One-off Test Highlights: India crush visitors by innings and 262 runs

A dominant India cricket team registered their biggest ever win in the Test cricket by defeating minnows Afghanistan by an innings and 262 runs in what was latter's debut match.

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One-off Test: Dominant India thrash listless Afghanistan by innings and 262 runs in historic match

Bengaluru, June 15: A dominant India cricket team registered their biggest ever win in the Test cricket by defeating minnows Afghanistan by an innings and 262 runs in what was latter's debut match here on Friday (June 15).

Team India became the first side in the subcontinent to wrap-up a Test match within two days as their bowlers picked up all 20 wickets on the same day.

Ball by ball | Match Scorecard | Day 1 Highlights

Having scored 474 in their first innings, India bundled Afghanistan to 109 in the latter's first innings as skipper Ajinkya Rahane immediately enforced follow-on as they led the visitors by a massive 365 runs by virtue of their first innings total.

The hosts came back strongly again in the final session of the day to bundle the tourists for 103 as Ravindra Jadeja (4/17) and Umesh Yadav (3/26) ripped through the Afghan batting line-up in the second innings.

Reality Check for Afghanistan:

Afghanistan batsmen had a reality check as they were bundled out twice in two successive sessions against a dominant Indian bowling attack. This was the first time that India won a Test match in two days while it has now happened for the 21st time in the 141-year-history of the traditional format. India, however, did become the first team to claim 20 wickets in a day.

Afghans, who have some impressive accomplishments in the shortest format lasted a total of 66.3 overs (27.5 overs and 38.4 overs), posing serious questions over their readiness to cope up with demands of five-day cricket.

The gulf in class was a reality but the Test match exposed their inability to understand the needs of the longest format. Their performance lends support to the demands for a two-tier Test format, which could get them battle-ready for future series.

With an average first-class experience of fewer than 15 matches, Test cricket wouldn't have been easy for Afghans but if a robust first-class structure isn't put in place, ICC's novel idea may just backfire.

The giants of world cricket were supposed to be infinitely superior but what lacked in the visitors was will to fight it out.

Indian bowlers live up to the reputation:

Batting was always going to be Afghanistan's 'Achilles heel' as the inexperienced line-up simply didn't have the technique or the temperament to face either quality bowling attack from India.

Afghan skipper, before the start of the match, had claimed his spinners were better than their Indian counterparts. Indian spinners claimed 11 wickets while Afghanistani bowlers picked just 4 Indian wickets in the first innings, to prove the visitors will have a long road to travel.

Ravichandran Ashwin and rest of the bowlers lived up to his reputation and put up a clinical show. Ashwin grabbed four wickets and conceded just 27 runs from 8 overs in the first innings. The premier India spinner, who completed 315 wickets in Test cricket and surpassed Zaheer Khan (311) to become third highest wicket-taker for India in the longest format, picked up 1 wicket in the second innings.

Ishant Sharma (2/28 and 2/17), Ravindra Jadeja (2/18 and 4/17) bagged two wickets apiece while pacer Umesh Yadav (1/18 and 3/26) performed well in both the innings.

The visitors had a poor outing with the bat when they came out to bat as their openers cheaply. Every Afghan batsman seemed to be in the limited-overs mode without any respect for an aspect called patience, which is an integral component of Test cricket.

Once the top-order was blown away by Umesh and Ishant, Ashwin and Jadeja made short work of the middle and lower-order as the second day turned into a total mismatch. There were two minor milestones for India.

It started in the first innings with the run-out of portly Mohammed Shahzad (14), who was needlessly run-out as Pandya's direct throw found him short of his crease. In the second innings, the same Shahzad (13) nicked at an outswinger from Yadav.

Ishant shines:

Ishant, fresh from an impressive county stint, bowled a perfect line and got the new ball to dart back in cleaning up top-order batsmen. Both speedsters bowled to a probing channel and the Afghans were forced into committing mistakes.

Having not played bowling of this calibre also contributed to their dismal show. The delivery of the first innings was bowled by Ishant to wicketkeeper-batsman Afsar Zazai (6).

A full delivery that swung late, had Zazai clean bowled to make it 35 for 4 for the visitors. Ashwin then fooled rival captain Ashgar Stanikzai (11) with a classical off-break. He tossed one up outside the off-stump enticing the skipper to go for an expansive drive only to find it turn sharply disturbing the woodwork.

Stanikzai in the second innings played a horrendous shot off Jadeja to be caught by Shikhar Dhawan. The others simply came and went as it turned out to be a no-contest.

Pandya impresses with the bat:

Earlier, Hardik Pandya played composed knock before Afghanistan bowlers restricted India to 474 in their first innings. Pandya (71) played a brilliant knock on the second day after Shikhar Dhawan (107) and Murali Vijay (105) struck sensational tons on opening day. Local boy KL Rahul (54) was the fourth highest scorer in the innings.

Hardik Pandya and R Ashwin resumed their innings on day two to start India's innings from 347 for 6. But Ashwin's stay at the crease didn't last long as he was dismissed by Yamin Ahmadzai for 18. The Tamil Nadu all-rounder paid for playing a ball going away from him and the keeper pouched him comfortably.

Meanwhile, Pandya raced to his third Test fifty off 83 balls and kept frustrating Afghanistan bowlers with his impressive knock. Pandya played a calm, and composed knock of 71 runs off 94 deliveries before he was dismissed by Wafadar. He lost his batting partner Ravindra Jadeja (20) two balls before after the duo stitched a valuable partnership of 67 runs for the eighth wicket and frustrated the visitors till the time they were batting.

Umesh's cameo frustrates tourists:

Umesh Yadav (26* off 21 balls) played a brilliant cameo after the departure of well set Pandya and took the hosts past 450. The tailender, who always enjoys batting, targetted Wafadar in particular as 21 runs came from one of his overs.

Ishant Sharma (8) was the final wicket to perish as he was trapped by Rashid Khan (2/154).

Yamin Ahmadzai (3/53) emerged as the pick of bowlers for debutants Afghanistan who managed to bundle out the number one ranked side in Test cricket. At one stage India looked headed for a massive total but the visitors scripted a fantastic comeback to prevent the hosts from posting a big total.

(With inputs from PTI)

Story first published: Friday, June 15, 2018, 18:53 [IST]
Other articles published on Jun 15, 2018
Read in Telugu: ఆప్ఘన్‌తో ఏకైక టెస్టు: ఆరంభంలోనే అశ్విన్ ఔట్
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