Debutant Manav Suthar shone with the ball after India’s batters piled up a massive first-innings total, leaving Afghanistan national cricket team reeling at 113/5 at stumps on Day Two of the one-off Test in New Chandigarh on Sunday.

Trailing by 451 runs, Afghanistan face a steep challenge after India national cricket team declared at 564/8, built around centuries from KL Rahul and captain Shubman Gill, along with valuable contributions from Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar.

Resuming at 368/3, India maintained complete control. Gill extended his overnight score before departing for an authoritative 126 off 177 balls, decorated with 15 fours and a six. His 169-run fourth-wicket stand with Pant proved crucial in setting up the imposing total.

Pant looked poised for a century but fell for a brisk 81 off 121 balls while attempting an attacking shot. Earlier, Dhruv Jurel made 19 before being bowled by Mohammad Saleem Safi in an unusual fashion after leaving a straight delivery.

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Sundar then steadied the lower order with an unbeaten 52, while Suthar impressed with a quick 28 on debut. Mohammed Siraj added a rapid 22 as India crossed the 550 mark before Gill called time on the innings at 564/8. For Afghanistan, Saleem Safi was the standout performer, finishing with 6/140 and becoming only the third Afghan bowler to claim a five-wicket haul in Test cricket.

Afghanistan’s reply began on a steady note but soon faltered against disciplined Indian bowling. Suthar struck in his very first over, dismissing Abdul Malik, and later removed Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Afsar Zazai to end the day with three wickets.

Prasidh Krishna provided excellent support, accounting for Sediqullah Atal and skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi, leaving the visitors in deep trouble. Rahmat Shah remained unbeaten on 43 and will carry Afghanistan’s hopes into Day Three. However, with half the side dismissed and a massive first-innings deficit, avoiding the follow-on looks a daunting task. India, meanwhile, will aim to take the remaining wickets quickly and push for a dominant victory.

Brief Scores:

India 564/8 declared in 127 overs (Shubman Gill 126, KL Rahul 100, Rishabh Pant 81, Washington Sundar 52*; Mohammad Saleem Safi 6/140)

Afghanistan 113/5 in 39.5 overs (Rahmat Shah 43*, Hashmatullah Shahidi 20; Manav Suthar 3 wickets, Prasidh Krishna 2 wickets)

Afghanistan trail by 451 runs.