Rahul, Gill tons power India to commanding start on Day 1

Hundreds from captain Shubman Gill and vice-captain KL Rahul powered India to a commanding 368 for 3 on the opening day of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh.

On a sweltering day when temperatures crossed 40 degrees Celsius, Gill won the toss and elected to bat against an inexperienced Afghanistan attack at a venue hosting its first Test. India benefited from a good batting surface and a couple of missed opportunities from the visitors. Rahul, on 16, edged a cut behind but Afghanistan chose not to review, while Yashasvi Jaiswal, on 11, survived when Abdul Malik reacted late to a chance at gully.

The opening stand was worth 41 before Mohammad Saleem Safi struck, trapping Jaiswal down the leg side. Sai Sudharsan then joined Rahul and capitalized on his chance at No. 3 with a fluent 81 off 104 balls. Afghanistan employed the same leg-slip tactic that England had used against him earlier in the summer, but Sudharsan handled it well, cashing in whenever the bowlers drifted onto his pads and driving confidently when offered width.

There was one nervous moment when Nangeyalia Kharote found an outside edge in Sudharsan's first over against spin, only for Rahmanullah Gurbaz to spill the chance at slip. Kharote and Hashmatullah Shahidi extracted some turn and bounce early, but as the moisture evaporated and the surface settled, India's batters took control.

After negotiating a watchful 96-run morning session, Rahul used his feet effectively against the spinners after lunch. Sudharsan also grew increasingly assured, bringing up a 67-ball fifty and punishing Kharote with three consecutive boundaries. He again looked particularly strong against the seamers, even driving freely through the covers before eventually edging Safi to slip, falling 19 short of a maiden Test hundred.

After Sudharsan added 139 with Rahul for the second wicket, Gill settled in seamlessly alongside Rahul as the pair added another 67 runs. The captain looked in complete control from the outset, striking four boundaries in his first 24 deliveries and helping India dominate a middle session that yielded 113 runs.

The evening session, which added 159 runs to the total, belonged entirely to India once again. Gill announced his intent by launching Kharote over long-off for six, while Rahul brought up his 12th Test century and continued his productive run as an opener. However, he departed immediately after reaching the milestone, driving expansively and offering a catch at cover.

Rishabh Pant, playing his 50th Test, then joined Gill and helped ensure Afghanistan gained no further foothold. After a cautious start, Pant accelerated with three sixes off Malik and raced to a 70-ball half-century. At the other end, Gill moved from strength to strength, reaching his 11th Test hundred from just 138 deliveries. The unbroken fourth-wicket stand was worth 121 by stumps, leaving India firmly in control and well placed to push for a massive first-innings total on Day 2.

Brief Scores: India 368/3 (Shubman Gill 103*, KL Rahul 100; Mohammad Saleem Safi 2-67) vs Afghanistan