KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan Steady India After Early Wicket Against Afghanistan

India ended the first session of play in a strong position at 96/1 on Day 1 of the one-off Test against Afghanistan at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium.

KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan combined effectively after the loss of an early wicket, putting together an unbeaten 55-run stand for the second wicket from 78 deliveries. Rahul remained unbeaten on 37 at the interval, while Sudharsan followed closely with 32 not out.

After deciding to bat first, India sent Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal to begin the innings.

Jaiswal quickly got the scoreboard moving by striking a boundary off Ziaur Rahman Sharifi in the opening over, signalling an aggressive approach from the home side.

The match also saw India include six left-handed batters in their playing XI, matching a rare combination previously seen during the South Africa series in 2025.

Afghanistan’s bowling attack maintained pressure for much of the session through accurate line and length, preventing India from scoring freely.

Their efforts eventually produced a breakthrough in the 12th over when Mohammad Saleem Safi forced Jaiswal to edge a rising delivery through to the wicketkeeper.

The Indian opener returned to the pavilion after scoring 24 runs from 32 balls, leaving Sudharsan to join Rahul in the middle.

Rahul and Sudharsan responded confidently to the setback and gradually shifted the momentum back in India’s favour. Both batters displayed patience and control, steadily accumulating runs while limiting Afghanistan’s opportunities to claim another wicket.

Saleem emerged as Afghanistan’s lone success with the ball during the morning session, but the visitors were unable to make further inroads before lunch.

Brief Score

India 96/1 after 25 overs (KL Rahul 37*, Sai Sudharsan 32*; Mohammad Saleem Safi 1/27).

Also Read: India Opt To Bat First After Winning Toss Against Afghanistan In One-Off Test