India ended Day 1 of the Test match against Afghanistan at 368 for 3 at Mullanpur Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh. Centuries from KL Rahul, who scored 100, and Shubman Gill, who remained unbeaten on 103, put India in a commanding position. Sai Sudarshan contributed 81, while Rishabh Pant stayed not out on 50 to strengthen India’s innings.
India began their innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul at the crease. The opening pair added 41 runs before Jaiswal lost his wicket. Rahul and Sai Sudarshan then stitched together a valuable partnership to stabilise the innings and maintain control.
Sai Sudarshan played a composed knock of 81 before being dismissed in the second session. India reached 209 for 2 at that stage of the match. The batting unit continued to dominate as Afghanistan struggled to make further breakthroughs.
In the final session, KL Rahul completed his century with a measured innings. Shortly afterwards, captain Shubman Gill also reached his hundred and remained unbeaten at stumps. Rishabh Pant added an unbeaten 50 from the lower middle order, ensuring that India maintained a healthy scoring rate.
Afghanistan managed to take only three wickets throughout the day. Their bowlers found it difficult to build sustained pressure or break important partnerships. India controlled most sessions comfortably and rarely looked troubled with the bat.
Despite India’s dominant performance, the atmosphere at the stadium became a talking point. Large sections of the stands remained empty during the day’s play. Pan Bahar banners inside the stadium also drew attention, adding to discussions about advertising at cricket venues and the presentation of Test cricket.
The empty seats have raised questions about the reasons behind the low attendance. Discussions have centred on venue selection, the retirement of senior players like RoKo, and whether Test cricket has lost some of its appeal among Indian fans. While India remain firmly in control on the field, concerns over spectator interest continue to shape conversations about the future of Test cricket in India.
