tea India 209 for 2 (Rahul 81*, Sudharsan 81, Saleem 2-50) vs afghanistan
Sai Sudharsan’s dismissal in the 43rd over was an action replay of the chance that came in the 35th over off Ziaur Rahman. The batter had stepped out of his crease for a tentative defense outside off. His edge dissected the wicketkeeper Afsar Zazai and first slip. Eight overs later, with Sai Sudharsan looking set for his maiden Test century, the batter played an expansive drive outside off against Mohammad Saleem. Once more, the ball flew into the slip cordon, but was snared up by Zazai with a one-handed stunner to his right.
The Afghanistan bowlers had cut off India’s scoring options outside off after lunch, attacking the stumps off a good length despite the lack of swing on New Chandigarh’s black-soil pitch. Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi was their most effective spinner. He bowled slow, often keeping his speeds under 80 kph, and used the drift and grip off the surface to trouble batsmen. Still, he never induced any real chances, with edges off him flying past short leg or the keeper.
At the other end, Rahul settled in post-lunch after struggling for timing through most of the first session. Rahul survived an lbw appeal in the 41st over off Saleem – a thin edge saved him. Through the rest of the afternoon, he pounced on shorter deliveries outside off with his cuts and dabs past backward point.
Earlier in the day, India had opted to bat first, with Gill expecting the pitch to slow down as the Test went along. However, Afghanistan’s new-ball bowlers – Azmatullah Omarzai and Saleem – extracted uneven bounce off the pitch straight away. They kept bowling back-of-a-length deliveries to Jaiswal and Rahul, looking to move the ball away from the openers.
Rahul reached for deliveries away from his body early in the day. He had ambled away to 16 off 34 by the end of the 10th over, while Jaiswal pounced on fuller deliveries at the other end to race to 20 off 26. Then, in the 11th over off Ziaur, Rahul slashed at a wide delivery and both bowler and keeper went up with a big appeal. However, they opted out of the review. Replay later showed Rahul had edged the delivery.
Rahul rode his luck thereafter, leaving balls outside off, and deadbatting ones that gripped in the pitch. Just an over later, Jaiswal leaned into a front foot drive off Mohammad Saleem. Next delivery, he jumped at an in-swinger drifting down leg, and tried to flick it off his hips. He edged it to the keeper instead. Against the run of play, Jaiswal had suddenly departed for a 32-ball 24, giving Saleem his maiden Test wicket.
Soon after, the new-ball swing dissipated and the bounce was less treacherous. Sai Sudharsan made full use of this period of play, striking out to the middle at the back end of Saleem and Omarzai’s extended spells. He laced three fours in his first 15 deliveries, tucking into full deliveries to race away to 20 off 22 by the 18th over. Even in the second session, he kept putting away the boundaries and had soon outscored KL Rahul. However, his edge off a half-volley on 81 ensured Afghanistan kept themselves in the contest.
Abhijato Sensarma is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
