India kick off their one-off Test against Afghanistan on Day 1 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh, with the venue set to host its inaugural Test match. The contest begins on June 6 and sits outside the World Test Championship cycle, so no WTC points are on offer. Shubman Gill will captain the side, while KL Rahul has been named vice-captain.
For this match, India have made several notable changes in the bowling and all-round departments, with Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja both rested. Axar Patel is also unavailable for selection. In the batting order, Sai Sudharsan has been confirmed to bat at number 3, a decision that gives head coach Gautam Gambhir another chance to assess the young left-hander in the red-ball setup.
India also bring fresh faces into the squad, with Manav Suthar and Gurnoor Brar earning their maiden Test call-ups for this series-opener against Afghanistan.
Afghanistan, meanwhile, are returning to India for only their second Test against the hosts. Their first meeting came in Bengaluru in 2018, where India secured a win inside two days during Afghanistan’s debut Test. This latest clash provides Afghanistan a further benchmark for their progress in the longer format against one of the most established sides in world cricket.
