Suthar’s debut six-for powers India to their biggest Test win

India Clinch Historic Victory in New Chandigarh

In a relentless display of dominant Test cricket, India secured their largest-ever victory by an innings and 300 runs against Afghanistan on day three of the one-off Test match. Playing in the sweltering heat of New Chandigarh, the Afghanistan batting lineup simply had no answers to India’s varied bowling attack, particularly the brilliance of debutant left-arm spinner Manav Suthar.

After India declared their first innings at a massive 564 for 8, the scoreboard pressure proved insurmountable for the visitors. Despite a few moments of aggressive counter-attack from their lower order, Afghanistan collapsed twice on a pitch that had flattened out for other bowlers, but remained highly productive under Suthar’s guile.

Manav Suthar’s Dream Debut

The morning of day three belonged entirely to debutant Manav Suthar. Resuming overnight with three wickets already to his name, Suthar bowled with exceptional control, drift, and turn. Maintaining a consistent speed around the 90 kph mark, he continuously troubled the Afghan batters, finishing with stellar figures of 6 for 33 in the first innings. This phenomenal effort represents the third-best figures by an Indian bowler on Test debut.

Suthar’s tactical acumen was on full display when he spun one past Sharafuddin Ashraf to claim his first wicket of the morning. His most crucial breakthrough, however, was the dismissal of Rahmat Shah. Rahmat had been Afghanistan’s lone warrior, bringing up a stoic 50 off 100 balls and resisting India’s attack for the first hour and a half of play. Suthar cleverly bowled him around his legs when Rahmat attempted an expansive sweep shot.

Rahmat’s dismissal marked Suthar’s five-wicket haul. Shortly after, Suthar wrapped up the innings by pinning Mohammad Saleem on the pads for his sixth. Although Saleem was animated in the dugout after failing to review a delivery that clearly pitched outside leg, the umpire’s decision stood, bundling Afghanistan out for a meager 152 runs.

Prasidh and the Pace Attack Build Early Pressure

While Suthar dominated from one end, tall paceman Prasidh Krishna provided excellent support from the other. Prasidh utilized his height and back-of-a-length deliveries to exploit the angles off the pitch. He struck the first blow of the day for India, getting a delivery to jag back sharply, taking the inside edge of Azmatullah Omarzai’s bat and crashing into the stumps.

Mohammed Siraj bowled a brief, tight spell of three overs for five runs, highlighted by a comical, optimistic review for an lbw that had clearly struck the inside edge of the bat first. At the other end, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav bowled in tandem. While Kuldeep initially struggled to put heavy revolutions on the ball, the Indian spin attack kept a tight leash on the run rate.

With Ashraf struggling due to a groin injury, Kuldeep began lobbing deliveries to force the batsman forward. Suthar capitalized on this, returning to the attack to have Ashraf edge one behind to Rishabh Pant. Washington Sundar then claimed the final wicket of the first innings as Ziaur Rahman went for a wild swipe, with Pant running in to complete the catch, ending the visitors’ first essay at 152.

The Follow-On and Afghanistan’s Brief Resistance

With a massive lead of 412 runs, India promptly enforced the follow-on. Facing another daunting batting assignment, Afghanistan attempted a different strategy in their second innings. They decided to push Suthar back from his attacking lines by stepping down the pitch to disrupt his length.

Sediqullah Atal led this aggressive charge. The opener played a spirited knock of 42, which included hitting Suthar for a consecutive six and a four just before the tea break. However, despite their intent, the Afghan top order could not sustain the momentum against India’s versatile spin unit.

Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav Direct the Second Innings

With the pitch offering less turn, India’s spinners adapted brilliantly in the second innings. Washington Sundar became the primary threat, utilizing his drift through the air rather than relying on sharp turn. He finished with superb figures of 4 for 36.

The wickets fell in rapid succession as Afghanistan’s impatience grew. Siraj made the first breakthrough, getting a ball to jag back and trap Abdul Malik lbw for 8 off 40 balls. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who looked dangerous with a quickfire 24 off 23 balls, threw his wicket away by lofting Kuldeep straight to long-on.

Rahmat Shah tried to repeat the aggressive tactics but holed out to wide mid-off off Washington’s bowling. Just fifteen minutes before tea, captain Hashmatullah Shahidi pushed tentatively at a delivery outside off from Washington, edging it to Shubman Gill at first slip. On the final ball before tea, Atal’s patient resistance ended when he lofted Washington straight to point, leaving Afghanistan in tatters.

The Final Wrap-Up

After the tea interval, Afghanistan’s lower order showed no desire to defend. Suthar claimed his seventh wicket of the match by trapping Afsar Zazai lbw on the front foot. The remaining batsmen—Omarzai, Nangeyalia Kharote, and Saleem—all fell while attempting wild, lofted shots.

The match concluded when Saleem sliced a delivery to B Sai Sudharsan at cover, sealing an emphatic victory by an innings and 300 runs. It was a flawless performance from India, headlined by a memorable debut from Manav Suthar and an exceptional all-round bowling display.