Afghanistan were presented with an early opening on Day 1 of the one-off Test against India, with the chance to remove KL Rahul almost immediately. Instead, a costly decision to pass on a review left the visitors looking back at a ball that clearly showed bat contact. The incident unfolded on the first delivery of the 11th over, when Afghanistan heard a sound but could not convert it into a wicket.
Quick facts
- The moment came on the opening ball of the 11th over, bowled by Ziaur Rahman Sharifi.
- Rahul attempted a big, booming cut; Afghanistan appealed after a clear noise.
- On-field umpiring rejected the appeal, and Afghanistan later chose against a review.
- Replays/UltraEdge later showed a clear spike, confirming bat-ball contact.
- Graeme Swann, on commentary, praised Rahul for the way he handled the situation.
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi had a clear view of the noise and initially considered the review, but ultimately decided not to challenge the decision. Rahmanullah Gurbaz urged the leadership to take action, yet the review call was dismissed because Shahidi backed the wicketkeeper, Afsar Zazai, who reported that he hadn’t heard anything. With that, the moment slipped away, despite replays later making the connection obvious.
The delivery was a short ball from Sharifi, aimed at Rahul’s timing for that cut shot. Rahul went for power, and the Afghanistan camp immediately appealed, convinced there had been contact. However, the on-field umpire turned down the appeal, and the visitors did not push the review button when the decision was still fresh.
When Afghanistan were weighing their options, Rahul’s reaction looked like there was no outside edge involved—his body language, in particular, played a major part in the visitors staying with the original call. Soon after, the replay sequence was shown on the big screen, and the UltraEdge displayed a distinct spike when the bat came close to the ball, underlining that the wicket had been within reach.
Graeme Swann, working as a commentator, highlighted the drama in real time and credited Rahul for the “acting” that contributed to Afghanistan dropping the review. “KL Rahul has played an absolute blinder here, because the captain and the keeper looked to him, and he shook his head. And they believed him. He should be put up for an Oscar for his acting there, KL Rahul. My hat’s off to you, sir. Here comes the Oscar,” Swann said during the broadcast. He added that true batters do not accept being out even when evidence suggests otherwise.
Next: Jaiswal falls, but openers add runs
After Rahul survived that scare, the rhythm shifted slightly as Yashasvi Jaiswal soon departed. He was dismissed for 24 off 32 balls, trapped after being strangled down the leg side by the bowling of Saleem Safi. Despite losing Jaiswal, Rahul and Jaiswal had already put together a solid start, adding 41 runs for the opening wicket.
India had begun the match after winning the toss, with captain Shubman Gill opting to bat first. Manav Suthar was named in the playing XI ahead of Harsh Dubey, and it marked Suthar’s Test debut.
Speaking at the toss, Gill said the build-up had gone well, while acknowledging one small adjustment—moving from late-night sleep to waking up at the earlier time required for match days. He also noted that the squad had managed some extra rest and felt ready to go.
Gill then pointed to the schedule and playing conditions ahead, mentioning that after the current match India would play two Tests against Sri Lanka and then five more at home. He stressed the importance of getting combinations right as a batting unit, and said similar conditions could be expected both in India and Sri Lanka—leaving the team focused on fine-tuning what needs to be proven over the coming matches.
