India begin rebuild as Afghanistan Test their growth in New Chandigarh

India begin their one-off Test against Afghanistan at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on Saturday with plenty more at stake than just another win. While Afghanistan arrive as underdogs, the match gives India an opportunity to settle key positions in their Test side and continue rebuilding after a difficult run in the format.

The hosts are still trying to move on from last year’s 0-2 home series defeat to South Africa and are also preparing for a crucial two-Test series in Sri Lanka later this year. With senior players rested and a few positions up for grabs, the solitary Test, which isn’t a part of the WTC cycle, offers the team management a chance to assess options before bigger assignments.

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One decision has already been made. On the eve of the match, head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that B Sai Sudharsan is ahead of Devdutt Padikkal for the No. 3 spot, a role India are keen to settle after Shubman Gill’s move down the order following Virat Kohli’s retirement from the longest format.

Another area under focus is the all-rounder’s role currently occupied by Ravindra Jadeja. The veteran has been rested for this match, allowing India to take a closer look at potential long-term options.

The two leading candidates are Rajasthan left-arm spinner Manav Suthar and Vidarbha all-rounder Harsh Dubey. Suthar is viewed as a more traditional left-arm spinner capable of attacking batters with flight and turn, while Dubey offers greater batting depth and versatility. The choice between the two could indicate the direction India want to take in the future.

Afghanistan, meanwhile, will be hoping to show how far they have come since their Test debut against India in 2018. That match in Bengaluru ended inside two days, with Afghanistan losing by an innings and 262 runs.

Since then, Afghanistan have played only 11 more Tests, highlighting their limited opportunities in the longest format. In the same period, India have played 67 Tests.

Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and batter Rahmat Shah are the only players from their 2018 squad still part of the current Test setup. On the Indian side, KL Rahul is the lone survivor from that match.

Despite the experience gap, Afghanistan arrive with nothing to lose. The visitors recently held a preparatory camp in Jalalabad and will look to challenge an Indian side that is still searching for the right balance.

The conditions are expected to be demanding. With temperatures soaring above 35 degrees Celsius in North India, both teams will have to deal with intense heat throughout the match.

For India, the focus will be on finding answers ahead of a busy Test calendar, while for the visitors, it is another opportunity to prove they belong on the biggest stage of red-ball cricket.

Squads:

India: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vc), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Manav Suthar, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal.

Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Abdul Malik, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmanullah, Afsar Zazai (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangeyalia Kharote, Bilal Sami, Qais Ahmed, Mohammed Saleem, Ziaur Rahman.