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The first day of the India vs Afghanistan one-off Test match has just ended, with two centuries and two fifties scored on the first day of play. Captain Shubman Gill and vice-captain KL Rahul scored centuries on the opening day of the Test match. The latter is out for 100, and the India captain is still unbeaten.
India won the toss and elected to bat first at the Maharaja Yadvendra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh. Manav Suthar made his debut for the white team. However, it has been a leader’s day for the Men in Blue at the Mullanpur Stadium. KL Rahul started by scoring his 12th century in this format.
Gill and KL Rahul scored centuries at the end of the first day
After this there is Gill who is still unbeaten on the score of 103 runs and with him Rishabh Pant is batting on the score of 50 runs in his 50th Test match. Apart from him, Sai Sudarshan, who was looking in good form, missed a good century and returned to the pavilion after scoring 81 runs.
KL Rahul, who scored his third century on home soil, was unlucky to get out on the very next ball. He has been one of India’s finest batsmen across all formats. The Karnataka batsman expressed his happiness after scoring the century and also stressed on switching from Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) to Test cricket in a span of a few days.
Really happy- KL Rahul happy after scoring a century
“Really glad I could get some time in between. Switching from T20 to Test cricket in a matter of days was the most enjoyable thing. It was extremely hot, I was tired. It just wasn’t happening. It was really slow and short, which we expected. It was pretty much the same in training too.”
“I had to switch to letting the ball go and getting used to the conditions. Training helped a lot. I felt the urge to play some shots and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. It’s something I’ve been telling myself as well. Sometimes you sit and analyse. I try not to restrict my shots.”
I think it will help – KL Rahul on whether it will help the spinners
Furthermore, KL Rahul, while talking about the condition of the pitch, said that he believes that it is good for the fast bowlers, and as the days go by, the cracks will open, the spinners will come into play. India has three spinners playing in this match in the form of Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav and Manav Suthar. With three quality spinners, the Afghans will have a tough time when they come to bat.
“No, I think it will help a bit with good bowling. I think the fast bowlers will also be in the game because the cracks are opening up and the clay is not really hard. On top of that it is a loose kind of clay. So I think there will be a lot of uneven bounce going forward in the game.”
“Anyone who can bowl at the top as a spinner and vary his pace and keep wickets in play, I think he will find it beneficial and definitely of some help. It is a bit tricky as well.”
“So Washi (Washington Sundar) and Manav (Suthar), if they are bowling to right-handed and left-handed batsmen respectively, I think there will be rough play and hopefully we can create pressure and put the balls in the right areas and get some wickets early on and put pressure on them.”
Also read: Shubman Gill breaks major WTC record for India by scoring a brilliant century against Afghanistan