New Chandigarh: Team India scripted a historic chapter in their red-ball history, registering their largest-ever victory margin in Test cricket. Playing at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, the hosts absolutely dismantled a struggling Afghanistan side, wrapping up a massive victory by an innings and 300 runs on Day 3 of the one-off Test match.

The record-shattering triumph eclipsed India’s previous best Test victory, which was an innings and 272-run win against the West Indies at Rajkot in 2018.

The Foundation: Dominant Hundreds by Gill and Rahul

After winning the toss and opting to bat first, India laid a flawless foundation by declaring a mammoth first-innings total of 564/8. Leading from the front, newly appointed captain Shubman Gill hammered an elegant 126 off 177 deliveries, while a fluent KL Rahul anchored the innings beautifully with a spectacular 100 of his own.

Contributions from Sai Sudharsan (81) and an aggressive return-to-form knock by Rishabh Pant (81) completely drained the Afghan bowling attack. Despite Afghanistan's Mohammad Saleem Safi picking up a valiant six-wicket haul (6/140), India had already accumulated enough runs to comfortably dictate the terms of the match.

The Dream Debut: Manav Suthar Spins a Web

While the batters set up the game, the match will forever be remembered for the magical debut of 23-year-old left-arm orthodox spinner Manav Suthar. Hailing from Rajasthan, Suthar showed composure well beyond his years. On a surface offering subtle assistance to spinners, his relentless line and length starved the Afghan batters of runs.

Suthar ripped through the first innings with magnificent figures of 6/33 across 22 overs, which included an impressive 10 maidens. He broke key partnerships, notably bowling a well-set Rahmat Shah for 60. In doing so, Suthar became the 10th Indian bowler to grab a five-wicket haul on Test debut, registering the third-best individual figures by an Indian debutant in Test history.

The Follow-On and a Brutal Collapse

Bundled out for a meager 152 in their first innings just before lunch on Day 3, Afghanistan were promptly asked to follow on by Shubman Gill.

The second-innings response was an even bigger disaster for the visitors. Though openers Sediqullah Atal (42) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (24) offered temporary resistance to take the score to 74/1, the wheels completely fell off post-lunch.

The Indian spin contingent triggered a spectacular collapse where Afghanistan lost their remaining 9 wickets for just 38 runs. Off-spinner Washington Sundar was the destroyer-in-chief in the second essay, ripping through the top and middle order with lethal figures of 4/36. Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav cleaned up the tail effortlessly with 3/30, as a deflated Afghanistan side folded for 112 in just 35.5 overs. Sharafuddin Ashraf, suffering from a quad injury, was absent hurt and did not bat.

Transitioning Into a New Era

With a match haul of 7 wickets for 62 runs alongside a handy lower-order contribution of 28 runs with the bat, Manav Suthar was deservingly awarded the Player of the Match. As Indian cricket looks toward its next generation of spin prodigies, Suthar’s seamless entry into the longest format has sent a roaring statement to the selectors.

Following this supreme red-ball warm-up, the teams will shift their focus to the shorter format, as India and Afgha