Afghanistan return to India for a Test, eight years on from their first
Afghanistan are back in India, and the part of this tour that should really make people sit up is the red-ball game. The one-off Test at New Chandigarh from June 6 is Afghanistan’s first Test against India since the two sides met in Bengaluru in 2018, a match that also happened to be Afghanistan’s first in the format. Eight years on, a far more battle-hardened group returns for the longest version, followed by three ODIs in Dharamsala, Lucknow and Chennai.
A different Afghanistan to the one that turned up in 2018
That debut Test in 2018 lasted barely two days. Afghanistan have learned a great deal since, and Hashmatullah Shahidi leads a squad that knows what red-ball cricket asks of it. The selection that will draw the most attention is Rashid Khan’s absence from the Test side, with the leg-spinner rested to manage his workload and protect a body that carries a heavy year-round load across franchise cricket.
His omission opens the door for the rest of Afghanistan’s spin and seam stocks, and brings batting experience back into focus. Azmatullah Omarzai, Sediqullah Atal and the seasoned Rahmat Shah are part of the red-ball plans, the kind of players who give Afghanistan a chance of lasting the distance on Indian pitches rather than folding in a session.
India in transition under Gill
For India, this is another step in the Shubman Gill era. Gill captains in both formats, and the squad reflects a side still settling into life after its most recent leadership change. Jasprit Bumrah has been rested, with the selectors keeping their premier quick fresh for the white-ball tour of England that follows. KL Rahul comes in as Test vice-captain.
There are first India call-ups in the mix too. Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey have been rewarded for their domestic and IPL form, and the ODI group adds Prince Yadav to that list of fresh faces. It is the sort of series where India can blood new players against opposition good enough to punish complacency, without the jeopardy of a marquee assignment.
The ODIs are where Afghanistan bite hardest
If the Test is about Afghanistan proving they belong, the 50-over leg is where they are genuinely dangerous. Rashid returns for the white-ball matches, joined by Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran and Mohammad Nabi, a core that has troubled bigger names than these before. India’s ODI squad leans on the experience of Virat Kohli alongside Gill, with Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya named subject to fitness.
The three ODIs run on June 14 in Dharamsala, June 17 in Lucknow and June 20 in Chennai. India will start strong favourites across the tour, but Afghanistan have made a habit of turning the odd game on its head, and a sleepy session from the hosts is all the opening they need.
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