Following a great deal of time away from the red-ball cricket, India are set to return to Test cricket as they face Afghanistan in a one-off encounter beginning Saturday in New Chandigarh. India will look to seek momentum after their last appearance in whites ended in disappointment. Their home series defeat against South Africa in November had come as a big setback, complicating their hopes of reaching the World Test Championship final. Although this Test is not part of the championship framework and will not affect the standings, it provides India an important opportunity to find rhythm.
They are currently placed sixth in the ongoing WTC cycle, knowing very well that every Test match matters. Nonetheless, India will treat this match as a new beginning and aim to put recent setbacks behind them. Going into this Test, the hosts will be without two of their most experienced players, Jasprit Bumrah and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who have both been rested. Young star Shubman Gill will lead the side, who returns to Test cricket after recovering from a neck injury that sidelined him during the South Africa series.
Gill is riding high on confidence, having recently guided Gujarat Titans to the IPL final. For Afghanistan, this match will be their 13th Test appearance. The match brings them against India in the format for the first time since their landmark debut Test in Bengaluru in 2018. Afghanistan head into the match under the leadership of newly appointed head coach Richard Pybus, who succeeds Jonathan Trott after a successful tenure. Afghanistan are boosted by the presence of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Afsar Zazai as they gear up to challenge India.
Head-to-head
Matches - 1
IND won - 1
AFG won - 0
India likely XI: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Washington Sundar, Harsh Dubey, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Gurnoor Brar, and Prasidh Krishna.
Afghanistan likely XI: Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangeyalia Kharote, Qais Ahmad, Ziaur Rahman.