CHANDIGARH, India (AFP): India's Manav Suthar returned a match haul of seven wickets on debut as India hammered Afghanistan by an innings and 300 runs on Monday (June 8), their biggest victory in a Test.
India forced the visitors to follow on, and spinners Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav then shared seven wickets between them as Afghanistan were bowled out for 112 on the third day of the one-off Test in New Chandigarh.
Suthar, a left-arm spinner, set up India's win after taking 6-33 as Afghanistan were dismissed for 152 in response to India's first innings total of 564-8 declared.
India's record win in the five-day format surpasses their hammering of the West Indies by an innings and 272 runs in Rajkot in 2018.
India's batters shined in their only innings as Skipper Shubman Gill, who top-scored with 126, and opener KL Rahul (100) stood out.
"A complete win, ticked all the boxes so very happy," Gill said.
Kuldeep, a left-arm wrist spinner, took two wickets in two balls to wrap up Afghanistan's second innings after the injured Sharafuddin Ashraf did not come out to bat.
Off-spinner Sundar reduced Afghanistan to 98-5 at tea, and Afghanistan's batting folded early in the final session to be bowled out in 35.5 overs.
The Afghan openers started steadily before fast bowler Mohammed Siraj trapped Abdul Malik in front for eight.
Kuldeep then broke through Rahmanullah Gurbaz's resistance on 24, and Sundar dismissed Rahmat Shah for 13.
Sundar struck again to remove captain Hashmatullah Shahidi for five. Wickets kept falling, with Suthar taking his seventh wicket of the match when he trapped Afsar Zazai lbw for eight.
Suthar was named player of the match and on learnings from his dream debut, said, "keep being patient, stick to your plans and keep hitting the right areas consistently".
Kuldeep dismissed debutant Nangeyalia Kharote and then Mohammad Saleem for a duck as 14 wickets fell on the day.
"I think we learned a lot from this game because we don't get enough opportunities to play this format, but everybody knows that India is a tough team playing in their own conditions," said Shahidi. "Hopefully, we learn to play under pressure."
It was Afghanistan's 13th Test outing since their bruising introduction to the five-day format when they lost to India by an innings and 262 runs inside two days in 2018.
Afghanistan offered some resistance in the morning session, with Rahmat making 60 in the first innings.
Rahmat reached his sixth Test half-century with a four as he and Ashraf put up some fight.
Suthar, 23, broke the stand when he had Ashraf trapped lbw.
He then bowled Rahmat for his fifth wicket, and trapped Mohammad Saleem lbw three balls later for a duck.
Suthar is only the fifth Indian and the first since veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in 2011 to take six wickets in an innings on debut. -- AFP
