India established a commanding platform in the first innings of the Chandigarh Test against Afghanistan, ending the opening day of the one-off match on 368 for 3 after electing to bat first. Centuries from KL Rahul and captain Shubman Gill laid the foundation for the hosts, while an unbroken partnership between Gill and Rishabh Pant ensured India remained firmly in control at stumps.
The day began with India winning the toss and choosing to bat. The only top-order batter unable to convert his start into a substantial score was opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. The left-hander was dismissed early in the day after scoring 24 runs from 32 deliveries.
Following Jaiswal’s departure, KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan steadied the innings and guided India through a lengthy period of consolidation. The pair added 139 runs for the second wicket, providing the stability that allowed India to build a sizeable total.
Sudharsan, batting at number three, played a composed innings of 81 from 104 balls. His knock came to an end when he was caught behind off the bowling of Mohammad Salim. By that stage, however, he had already played a significant role in strengthening India’s position.
Rahul continued to anchor the innings and remained at the crease until the third session. He completed his century before being dismissed for exactly 100. His innings ended immediately after reaching the milestone, as he was caught by Rahmanullah Gurbaz off the bowling of Ziaur Rahman.
After Rahul’s departure, captain Shubman Gill assumed responsibility for carrying the innings forward. Together with Rishabh Pant, he added an unbeaten 121 runs for the fourth wicket. The partnership ensured that Afghanistan were unable to make further breakthroughs during the remainder of the day.
Gill reached three figures and remained unbeaten on 103 at the close of play. The century was his sixth as India’s captain. Among Indian Test captains, he now ranks fifth for the number of centuries scored while leading the side. The record remains held by Virat Kohli, who accumulated 20 centuries as captain.
Pant also reached an important milestone, finishing the day unbeaten on 50. His partnership with Gill leaves India well placed heading into the second day of the match, with both batters still at the crease and the first-innings total already approaching 400.
India First Innings: Key Batting Scores
| Batter | Runs |
|---|---|
| Shubman Gill* | 103 |
| KL Rahul | 100 |
| Sai Sudharsan | 81 |
| Rishabh Pant* | 50 |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 24 |
*Not out
Afghanistan Bowling Figures
| Bowler | Figures |
|---|---|
| Mohammad Salim | 2/67 |
Match Summary
| Team | Innings | Score |
|---|---|---|
| India | First Innings | 368/3 |
At the end of the first day, India stood on 368 for 3, built around centuries from Rahul and Gill, an 81-run contribution from Sudharsan, and an unbeaten half-century from Pant. The visitors managed three wickets during the day, but India’s strong batting display ensured they finished the opening day in a highly favourable position.