350 runs, 20 wickets: Shubman Gill unfurls India’s simple Test plan after AFG win
India captain Shubman Gill has outlined a straightforward but uncompromising philosophy for the national Test side’s transition after a ruthless performance against Afghanistan in Mullanpur. Gill expressed his vision of creating a standard where India have the clinical ability to consistently put up massive first innings totals and dismantle opposition line-ups regardless of match conditions.
The commanding victory highlighted India’s formidable strength on the bench because they convincingly outplayed the visitors over the course of three days. In a post-match presentation, Gill shed light on the management’s tactical foresight going forward and highlighted the long-term plan that drives this new Test team forward.
IND vs AFG Live Score: One-off Test, Day 3 Highlights
“I think it was a complete win from our end. We ticked all the boxes so we’re very happy with that.”
“Plans for the team going forward – it’s simple. When you’re batting in the first innings, try to put 350 on the board every time. No matter where we play and what the conditions are. We believe in our bowling group that we can take 20 wickets anywhere.”
The comprehensive victory at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium unfolded smoothly after India declared their first innings on a mammoth 564/8 backed by Gill’s own 126 and KL Rahul’s 100. The Afghan batsmen were forced to follow and fell into poor shot selections, getting 152 seconds and 1 to gift India a historic win by an innings and 300 runs.
HOW INDIA CRUSHED AFGHANISTAN
The Indian bowlers executed the strategy perfectly on Day 3 and took advantage of some reckless batting from the visitors. Washington Sundar led the second innings demolition with brilliant figures of 4/36 while Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with 3/30. Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna had earlier broken the back of the first innings with a sharp spell of 3/37 and Mohammed Siraj provided the crucial early breakthrough after the follow-on was enforced. Gill revealed that the decision to send Afghanistan back into battle was dictated entirely by weather and workload management.
“It was very hot,” Gill noted.
“We decided that if we got them before lunch or after the first drinks, we’d see if the bowlers were fresh and then we’d decide to give them a follow-on. If not, we’d bat a couple of sessions. But we got quick wickets and the way our fast bowlers bowled was brilliant.”
The visiting top order repeatedly crumbled under pressure.
Opener Sediqullah Atal (42) dropped the wicket just before the tea break, hitting Washington against the curve straight to Siraj. Similarly, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (24) tried to counter-attack but fell straight into a tactical trap laid by Gill, who placed Siraj at long-on before instructing Kuldeep to lure an aerial shot. Rahmat Shah (13) suffered the same fate when he failed to clear Manav Suthar at mid-on while trying to loft Washington.
GILL APPROVES SUTHAR’S 5-STAR DEBUT
The standout headliner of the match belonged to 23-year-old orthodox left-arm spinner Manav Suthar, who enjoyed a dream introduction to Test cricket. Hailing from Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, Suthar finished with a stunning total of 7/62, including a historic 6/33 in the first innings where he bowled 10 maidens in a marathon 22 overs.
He became only the 10th Indian bowler – and 7th spinner – to take five wickets on Test debut. Suthar’s incredible control, pace and ability to extract sharp bounce on a calm surface immediately made him a potential long-term successor to Ravindra Jadeja. Gill was full of praise for his new spin weapon and the rest of the slow bowling contingent.
“There was never any doubt about the kind of quality that Manav, Washi and Kuldeep have. It was all about giving them experience and getting into it and seeing it on wickets like this, how to set the batter. Change the pace and keep testing the batter in different areas.”
“With the transition of seasoned spikes, Gill acknowledged that building this new era would require patience, but he had full faith in the team’s direction.
“Whenever there’s a transition, I feel the batting group is under more pressure,” Gill noted.
“We’re trying to gain experience, trying to figure out what works well for us in different conditions and how we can regularly post a total of 350 on the board.”
Suthar’s phenomenal arrival provides a massive boost to that vision as India looks to future red-ball challenges.
– The end
Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
08 Jun 2026 17:18 IST