India register their biggest victory in Tests; crush Afghanistan by an innings and 300 runs

NEW DELHI: India registered their biggest victory in Test cricket on Monday, defeating Afghanistan by an innings and 300 runs on the third day of the one-off Test in New Chandigarh.

The win surpassed India's previous biggest Test victory margin (Inns & 272 runs vs WI, Rajkot, 2018) and was set up by a dominant bowling performance that saw them take 15 Afghanistan wickets on the third day.

Biggest innings wins for India

India bowled Afghanistan out for 152 in their first innings and then wrapped up the second innings with ease after enforcing the follow-on. While debutant left-arm spinner Manav Suthar led the way with a six-wicket haul in the first innings, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav shared seven wickets in the second innings.

Afghanistan resumed the day at 113/5 but could not recover. Prasidh Krishna removed Azmatullah Omarzai early before Suthar ran through the lower order to finish with figures of 6/33 in 22 overs.

The 23-year-old Rajasthan spinner dismissed Sharafuddin Ashraf (11), ended Rahmat Shah's resistance after the batter scored 60 off 135 balls, and completed a five-wicket haul on Test debut. He later trapped Mohammad Saleem Safi leg-before and took the wicket of Ziaur Rahman Sharifi to end the innings.

Suthar's figures are the second-best by an Indian bowler on Test debut, behind Narendra Hirwani's 8/61 against the West Indies in Chennai in 1988. He also became the 10th Indian bowler and the seventh Indian spinner to take a five-wicket haul in his maiden Test appearance.

With Afghanistan asked to bat again, India quickly tightened their grip on the match. Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav shared seven wickets between them, as Afghanistan's batting struggled once more.

India eventually completed an innings-and-300-run victory, the biggest win in the country's Test history.

Brief Scores:

India 1st innings: 564/8 declared in 127 overs.

Afghanistan: 152 and 112 all out 35.5 overs. (Sediqullah Atal 42, Rahmanullah Gurbaz 24; Washington Sundar 4/36, Kuldeep Yadav 3/30).