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A remarkable victory for Team India as they have defeated Afghanistan in New Chandigarh in a one-sided match. The home team outplayed the visitors by an innings and 300 runs to claim the victory.
After the match, as the skipper Shubman Gill says, it was a complete win for the team. They performed with the bat brilliantly, the perfromaed equally well with the ball. From the beginning to the end, Afghanistan found no room to make a comeback in the contest.
Shubman Gill and Co. batter brilliantly in the first innings
Before the spinners started to thrive in the middle, it was the batters who set the tone for India. Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, and Washington Sundar, these batters left their marks on the scorecard. Gill and Rahul registered centuries each, and fifty-plus runs came from Sudharsan, Pant, and Sundar’s bats. Sudharsan and Pant could have got their hundreds as well, but they had to return with 81 each.
The conditions became more disadvantageous for the batters and favorable for the spinners because of the summer conditions. The temperature in New Chandigarh was around 38 degree celcisus during the peak day hours. The pitch gradually got more dire, and on top of it, the Indian spinners showed their skills.
A complete win: Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill explains that they had the plan to bowl out Afghanistan before lunch, and then ask them to bat on a follow-on. The boys acted according to the plan, and they got the outcome before the end of Day 3.
"I think a complete win from us, ticked all the boxes. So very happy with that. (Thought process to enforce the follow-on?) It was very hot. We decided that if we get them before lunch or just after the first drinks, we'll see if the bowlers are fresh we'll give them a follow-on. If not, we'll bat a couple of sessions and maybe at the end of the day, we'll give them the ball again."
"But we got quick wickets, we came back. And also the way our fast bowlers bowled, Siraj got us that crucial wicket when we gave them a follow-on and Prasidh got three important wickets. (Thoughts on the spin-trio?) The kind of quality, I think, Manav, Washi and Kuldeep has, all three of them, there was never any doubt."
"It's all about getting the experience and getting a number of overs and seeing, on wickets like these how to set the batsman up, keep varying the pace, keep testing the batsman in different areas. (Young side in transition. What does India as a team and you as a captain need to do to take this team forward?) I'd say pretty simple," Shubman Gill said at the presentation ceremony.
Manav Suthar hoisted the trophy
After the post-match speech, Shubman Gill collected the trophy and handed it to his teammate, Manav Suthar, the player of the match, who claimed 7 wickets in total in his debut Test for India. He lifted his trophy high in the air, as well as his moment.
It was a great moment for the skipper as well, as he came back for the format after a long gap. It was never easy to perform under the scorching sun. But the entire team did it, and for all the hard work and the milestone match result, Gill praised his teammates.
The India vs Afghanistan bilateral series will continue as they are heading for a three-match ODI series, starting from Saturday, June 13. This win will elevate the Men in Blue’s confidence ahead of the series, and for Afghanistan, they will try their best to make a solid comeback.
Read More: India's biggest Test wins: Top 5 victories after Afghanistan rout
