The Afghanistan cricket team toured India in June 2018 to play a one-off Test match against the India cricket team.[1][2] It was Afghanistan's first Test since they were awarded the Test status by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in June 2017.[3] India won the match in two days by an innings and 262 runs.[4] Afghanistan were dismissed twice in the same day, only the fourth time this has happened in Tests.[5] For India, it was their biggest win by an innings in Tests,[6] and they became the first Asian team to win a Test match inside two days.[7]
| Afghan cricket team in India in 2018 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
.svg){kind=small} | ||
| India | Afghanistan | ||
| Dates | 14 – 18 June 2018[n 1] | ||
| Captains | Ajinkya Rahane | Asghar Stanikzai | |
| Test series | |||
| Result | India won the 1-match series 1–0 | ||
| Most runs | Shikhar Dhawan (107) | Hashmatullah Shahidi (47) | |
| Most wickets | Ravindra Jadeja (6) | Yamin Ahmadzai (3) | |
After the match, India's captain Ajinkya Rahane said that playing more Tests and first-class cricket would improve the Afghan side.[8] Phil Simmons, Afghanistan's coach, said that the team were "'by no means happy' with their performance", but believed they would get there with further hard work.[9]
Background
editIn late 2017, it was announced that Zimbabwe would be Afghanistan's first Test opponents, but the tour was confirmed as being limited overs matches only.[10] In December 2017, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed that the match would take place in 2018, with the exact date and venue to be announced at a later date.[11] In January 2018, both the ACB and the BCCI confirmed the Test would be played in June at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.[12][13] It was the first time a Test match was played in June in India.[14][15]
Squads
edit India[16]
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 Afghanistan[17]
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|---|---|
India's captain Virat Kohli announced that he would miss this Test match as he elected to play for Surrey County Cricket Club.[18] This was in preparation for India's tour to England the following month.[19][20] However, a neck injury ruled him out of playing for Surrey in England.[21] Ajinkya Rahane was named as India's captain for the Test match in Kohli's absence.[22]
Prior to the final squad selection, Afghanistan had a team of thirty players warming up for the match in Greater Noida.[23] On 29 May 2018, the ACB announced a sixteen-man squad for the Test match, with Asghar Stanikzai named as the captain.[24] Afghan bowler Rashid Khan said that "it will be a big day for cricket in Afghanistan" and he could not wait to become a Test cricketer.[23] He later added that the match will be "a test of patience" and that he might end up taking no wickets.[25]
Ahead of the Test, Wriddhiman Saha was ruled out of India's squad due to injury, and was replaced by Dinesh Karthik.[26] Mohammed Shami was also ruled out of India's squad after failing a fitness test, being replaced by Navdeep Saini.[27]
Before the Test, both captains commented on the significance of the fixture. Asghar Stanikzai, Afghanistan's captain, said that "to be playing our first Test against India is a great honour and we hope to give a good account of ourselves".[28] India's captain, Ajinkya Rahane, said "it's a privilege to be playing in Afghanistan's first Test match" adding that it will be an historic moment for the Afghan team.[28]
Only Test
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- India won the toss and elected to bat.
- 12 overs of play were lost on day one due to rain.
- This was Afghanistan's first Test match.
- Mohammad Shahzad, Javed Ahmadi, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Mohammad Nabi, Afsar Zazai, Rashid Khan, Yamin Ahmadzai, Wafadar Momand and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Afg) all made their Test debuts.
- Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Afg) became the sixth player, and first for Afghanistan, to make his first-class debut in a Test match.[29] He became the first player born in the 21st century to play Test cricket and also became the youngest player to feature in their country's inaugural Test match (17 years and 78 days).[30][31]
- Shikhar Dhawan became the sixth batsman, and the first for India, to score a century before lunch on day one of a Test.[32]
- Rashid Khan (Afg) conceded the most runs in their country's inaugural Test match (154).[33][34]
- Umesh Yadav (Ind) took his 100th wicket in Tests.[35]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ "Afghanistan to make Test debut against India". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- ^ "Afghanistan to face India in first Test". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- ^ "Ireland & Afghanistan awarded Test status by International Cricket Council". BBC News. 22 June 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
- ^ "Afghanistan's debut Test ends in two-day thrashing". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- ^ "Back-to-back Afghanistan collapses hand India two-day win". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- ^ "India vs Afghanistan, Only Test, Day 2 – Statistical Highlights". CricTracker. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- ^ "Afghanistan's debut Test ends in two-day thrashing". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- ^ "'This is just the beginning for Afghanistan' – Ajinkya Rahane". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
- ^ "Afghanistan 'by no means happy' with their performance". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
- ^ "Streak urges more elite cricket for Zimbabwe". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
- ^ "Afghanistan to make Test debut in India". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- ^ "Historic India-Afghanistan Test from June 14 in Bengaluru". Times of India. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ "India, Afghanistan Test in June". ANI News. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ "Afghanistan's Test debut set for June in Bengaluru". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ "Afghanistan to play debut Test v India in Bengaluru in June". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
- ^ "Rahane to lead India against Afghanistan in Kohli's absence". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
- ^ "Afghanistan pick four spinners for inaugural Test". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
- ^ "Kohli to warm-up for India's tour of England with spell at Surrey". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
- ^ "Virat Kohli to miss Afghanistan Test in favour of county cricket for Surrey: Report". The Indian Express. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- ^ "Kohli to play county cricket as preparation for England Tests". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- ^ "Kohli ruled out of Surrey stint with neck injury". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
- ^ "Ajinkya Rahane to lead India in one-off Test against Afghanistan, Virat Kohli to return for Ireland T20s". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
- ^ a b "'We need to focus on playing good cricket' – Rashid Khan looks ahead to maiden Test". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
- ^ "Afghanistan Squads for T20I Bangladesh Series and on-eoff India Test Announced". Afghanistan Cricket Board. Archived from the original on 29 May 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
- ^ "'It's going to be a test of patience' – Rashid Khan on Test debut". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
- ^ "Injured Saha out of Afghanistan Test". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
- ^ "Shami out of Afghanistan Test after failing fitness Test". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
- ^ a b "Afghanistan gear up for momentous first men's Test". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- ^ "Records broken on Day 1 of the India-Afghanistan Test! - The12thMan". www.the12thman.in. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- ^ "Test cricket's first 21st century man arrives". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- ^ "IND v AFG: Mujeeb Becomes First 21st-century born Cricketer to Play Tests". India.com. 14 June 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- ^ "IND vs AFG: Shikhar Dhawan enters exclusive club with 87-ball hundred". India Today. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
- ^ "IND Vs AFG: After Amir Elahi, this player becomes the first bowler to concede most runs in team's inaugural Test match". CatchNews.com. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- ^ Staff, CricketCountry (15 June 2018). "India vs Afghanistan Test: Rashid Khan earns unwanted record". Cricket Country. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- ^ "IND vs AFG: Umesh Becomes 8th Indian Pacer to 100 Wickets". India.com. Retrieved 15 June 2018.