India Vs Afghanistan: India Reach 96-1 After Winning Toss

India vs Afghanistan opened with India in control at 96-1 at lunch on Saturday in New Chandigarh after choosing to bat. Lokesh Rahul was unbeaten on 37 and Sai Sudharsan on 32, with the pair carrying the innings after Yashasvi Jaiswal fell before the break.

Rahul and Sudharsan Stood Firm

Rahul and Sudharsan added 55 runs off 78 balls for the second wicket and kept India moving after the early dismissal. Jaiswal had made 24 off 32 balls before he was caught behind off Saleem Safi in the 12th over.

There was a tense moment earlier when Rahul edged behind off Ziaur Rahman Sharifi in the 11th over, but the umpire did not give him out and Afghanistan did not ask for a video review. He stayed in long enough to anchor the score through to lunch.

New Chandigarh and the Toss

Shubman Gill led India after winning the toss and choosing to bat in the one-off Test, a move that put the home side in position to build first on Saturday. It was also a red-ball return for India in a match that sits outside World Test Championship points.

The fixture is only the second Test between the teams. India beat Afghanistan by an innings and 262 runs in Bengaluru in 2018, and Afghanistan are playing their 13th Test overall here.

Afghanistan Face Early Pressure

The first session left Afghanistan chasing control after India’s openers and first-drop batter had already pushed the score past 40 before lunch. Kuldeep Yadav was in the XI for India as the hosts started their innings with a settled platform rather than a rescue job.

For Afghanistan, the task now is to break a partnership that has already absorbed 78 balls and to get into India’s middle order before the score stretches away. With no World Test Championship points on offer, the match still carries weight for a side trying to make every Test count on this stage.