Highlights, India vs Afghanistan One-off Test, Day 1
INDIA VS AFGHANISTAN ONE-OFF TEST, DAY 1: A poor start but a magnificent finish. Nerves might have got the better of the debutants for most of the day but while heading back to the dressing room, it will be the Afghans who will be smiling a bit more than the Indians. Kudos to their effort and spirit, especially in this final session. The first half entirely belonged to India. Dhawan attacked the bowlers mercilessly and was assisted well by Murali Vijay. The duo scored centuries which was followed by a half century from Lokesh Rahul. But, then came the rain which proved to be of gain for the Afghans. From a position of dominance at 280/1, India slipped to 334/6 and the Afghans had come roaring back. Yamin Ahmadzai picked up 2 wickets overall but it was the spin of Rashid and Mujeeb which was causing problems for the Indian batters. After hammering the spinners for a major part of the day, they struggled to pick them in the final session. The rain certainly helped the Afghans more than the Indians. (LIVE SCORECARD)
HIGHLIGHTS, INDIA VS AFGHANISTAN, ONE-OFF TEST FROM M CHINNASWAMY STADIUM, BENGALURU
That ends proceedings on the opening day! Who was the better side? Was it the one which started well or the one which ended in a terrific manner? Momentum will say Afghanistan but India are in a great position. They will be confident with this score and aim to bowl well on this track which suddenly has got something for the bowlers. Weather will be the key though. Join us for all the action on Day 2 at 0930 local (0400 GMT) to see how the game turns and develops. Before that, you can catch all the action from the exciting second Test between Windies and Sri Lanka. ADIOS! TAKE CARE!
18.08 IST: STUMPS! Another in-dipper, from outside off, Ashwin looks to flick but misses and is hit on the pads. Wafadar appeals for LBW but quickly realizes that an inside edge is involved. STUMPS ON DAY 1! IND 347/6 in 78 overs
17.58 IST: FOUR! A sight for sore eyes and it is R Ashwin who steps up, a beautiful cover drive on Wafadar's delivery. Welcome back into the attack! On a length outside off, Ashwin drives it through the covers and gets a boundary! The stand moves to 13 now. IND 347/6 in 77.1 overs
17.47 IST: FOUR! On middle and leg, flicked through square leg for a lovely boundary. 343/6 in 77 overs
17.47 IST: RUN-OUT! Dinesh Karthik departs for 4. Karthik has dived in but his bat is in the air! That is really unfortunate for the wicketkeeper-batsman. Outside off, Karthik defends it towards cover and sets off for a run. He thinks he can get it past that man running to his right from point - substitute Nasir Jamal - but Hardik Pandya thinks otherwise. He is not the least bit interested and Karthik, who has come halfway down the track, has to apply brakes and then turn around. He does that and almost makes it to the crease with a dive. The throw is a weak one from Jamal and it goes on the bounce as he is off balance. But replays show that when Afsar Zazai breaks the stumps, Karthik's bat is in the crease but not grounded! The reason for that is that when the bat first made contact with the ground outside the crease, the force and impact made it pop up. That is a real sad piece of luck for Karthik on return. Afghanistan have 6 wickets in one day and we have another 10 minutes to go! IND 334/6 in 74.5 overs
17.44 IST: Maiden over by Mujeeb. IND 332/5 in 74 overs
17.42 IST: Lovely bowling. This is the leg-spinner from the leg-spinner, Pandya lunges to defend but the ball spins away and beats him. IND 332/5 in 73.2 overs
17.37 IST: Afghanistan spinners are keeping the Indian batsmen tied. Dying moments of the day - can they pick up one more wicket?
Hardik Pandya comes into bat.
17.30 IST: OUT! Nabi has caught the big fish this time and Mujeeb gets his maiden Test wicket. Cheteshwar Pujara departs for 35. Full and down the leg side, Pujara flicks it through the leg side where Mohammad Nabi dives low to his left and takes a sharp catch at leg gully! Boy, are the Afghans pumped up! IND 328/5 in 69.5 overs
17.23 IST: FOUR! A chance at slip to take the catch but he makes a big mess of it. Pujara is lucky as that sails down for a boundary. Could have been Rashid's second. Mohammad Nabi is the culprit. Often they say in cricket, when you get one wicket, you get two. Rashid has just been denied that opportunity. IND 325/4 in 68.1 overs
17.21 IST: Pujara and Karthik are playing cautiously at the moment. The wicket-keeper batsman is trying to play a few shots but is unable to find the gaps at the moment. Rashid and Mujeeb finally find some rhythm here. IND 321/4 in 68 overs
17.17 IST: Dinesh Karthik comes in to bat.
17.16 IST: OUT! Rashid Khan removes the stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane for 10. That is a real, real surprise! That really looked high but Hawk Eye thinks otherwise. A short ball, in line of the stumps, Rahane goes back to work it to the leg side but is beaten by the skid on the delivery. He is hit high on the knee roll and the ball lobs to first slip. Rashid appeals and appeals but umpire Reiffel stays put. Now, the bowler is adamant and wants the review. Captain Stanikzai agrees and the first thing which is checked is the inside edge. None. Now, the LBW is checked for and... surprisingly, Height is not a factor! Not even umpire's call! Well, well, well. Earlier in the morning, the LBW appeal against Shikhar Dhawan looked more plumb than this. Has the rain affected the bounce on the track? Hawk Eye shows three reds as the ball is projected to hit the top of middle. Rahane departs cheaply again. Finally, a wicket for Rashid Khan. IND 318/4 in 66.3 overs
17.09 IST: FOUR! That is way too short, on leg, halfway down the pitch in fact, Pujara rocks back and pulls it behind square leg for a boundary. The stand moves to 32. IND 316/3 in 65.1 overs
17.05 IST: FOUR! Classy stroke by Rahane. On the backfoot he times the shot to sweeper cover. That will make Rahane feel better. He seemed to have been marooned for a while. Short and outside off, punched through the covers for a boundary! IND 311/2 in 64 overs
16.59 IST: Mujeeb is brought into the attack.
16.51 IST: First maiden over for Rashid Khan in Test cricket. IND 304/3 in 60 overs
16.47 IST: FOUR! Pujara's third boundary of the over! A long hop, this is pulled away disdainfully to the mid-wicket fence. IND 304/3 in 60 overs
16.46 IST: FOUR! Another boundary for Pujara and 300 up for India. That is a superb shot. On a length outside off, Pujara opens the face of his bat and guides it between slip and gully to the third man fence!
16.44 IST: FOUR! Pujara hits Stanikzai for a boundary! Loose ball. Short and outside off, Pujara opens the face of his bat and steers it behind point. No stopping that. The stand moves into double figures.
16.33 IST: Back to back maiden overs for Afghanistan. IND 288/3 in 57 overs
16.24 IST: FOUR! Rahane hits Ahmadzai for a boundary to get off the mark! Short and wide, Rahane flays it through point and gets a boundary! Off the mark on the 11th ball. IND 288/3 in 55 overs
16.11 IST: OUT! Ahmadzai removes KL Rahul for 54. The stumps are a mess. Wickets from both ends and Afghanistan have picked up 2 scalps in the span of 3 balls. A length fractionally fuller than short, outside off, Rahul looks to cut but is too close to the ball. As a result, he gets a thick inside edge which shatters the stumps. A start from Rahul again, which is not converted. India 284/3 in 52.1 overs vs Afghanistan. Ajinkya Rahane walks in at number 5, replacing Rahul.
16.09 IST: FOUR! Pujara gets off the mark with a boundary. A half volley on off, Pujara casually flicks it through mid-wicket and gets going! IND 284/2 in 52 overs
16.07 IST: OUT! Wafadar removes Vijay (LBW) for 105. The decision stays! Umpire's call hands Wafadar his maiden Test scalp. The nut is a good one. It is landed on a length outside off and it comes back in a long way. Vijay gets a good stride forward and shoulders arms. Is hit on the pads and up goes Wafadar in an appeal. Umpire Gaffaney raises his finger in a flash and the Afghans are pumped up! A distraught Vijay takes the review straightaway without even consulting his partner. And... Hawk Eye shows the ball to be the clipping the top of off stump. Vijay walks off after shaking his head. Tough luck. But what a knock. Take a bow. India 282/2 in 51.5 overs vs Afghanistan. Cheteshwar Pujara walks in at number 4, replacing Vijay.
16.00 IST: Back to back boundaries for KL Rahul and he completes his 11th fifty in Test cricket. IND 277/1 in 51 overs
15.55 IST: Murali Vijay's last three Tests in India:
128 vs SL, Nagpur
155 & 9 vs SL, Delhi
103* vs AFG, Bengaluru
15.53 IST: Murali Vijay hits 12th Test hundred off 143 balls. India 268/1 in 49.1 overs vs Afghanistan
15.54 IST: FOUR! Up and over! Century number 12 for Murali Vijay! Nerves? Says who? A short ball outside off, extra bounce, Vijay just leaps and cuts it over point for a boundary! Takes his helmet off and raises both his hands. The dressing room stands up and applauds again. The 'Monk' is back.
15.49 IST: Rashid Khan to complete his over and KL Rahul is on strike.
15.48 IST: The players are walking into the field. There are 31.2 overs still left in the day to be played. So, the play might get extended till 18.00 IST.
15.40 IST:
15.12 IST: The rain just got heavier. It couldn't get anymore frustrating for Vijay as he is just one run short of hitting his 12th Test ton. The groundsmen with the covers are running onto the field. It is pouring down at the moment. Seems like we will be in for a longer delay this time. Stay tuned as we keep you updated.
15.06 IST: Rain stops play again as Murali Vijay stranded on 99. IND 264/1 in 48.4 overs
15.04 IST: Wafadar gives away just 4 runs. IND 263/1 in 48 overs
14.58 IST: FOUR! Short ball from Rashid and KL Rahul cuts it for a boundary. This has been Rashid's story today. He has bowled at least one bad ball in every over. This is short and wide outside off, Rahul has all the time in the world to go back and cut it through point. IND 259/1 in 47 overs
14.55 IST: FOUR! KL Rahul finishes off Wafadar's over with a boundary. Another bread and butter shot for Rahul. Short and wide outside off, Lokesh gets on top of the bounce and cuts it late through backward point. IND 253/1 in 46 overs
14.50 IST: We are now ready to get underway. The Afghanistan players make their way out to the middle. Lokesh Rahul and Murali Vijay will continue their innings. Wafadar will continue his over. He has five balls to go...
14.45 IST: The groundsmen have done their job and now we are only 7 minutes from play to resume. The last session can go onto 1730 and we have close to 45 overs to go today.
14.35 IST: Good news folks! Covers are being taken off and the sky looks blue too. Also the drainage here is really good so if the rain stays away then the action should resume shortly.
14.00 IST: While it rains the umpires have decided to take TEA EARLY! Another session which has belonged to the Indians. They did lose Dhawan early to Yamin but then Lokesh Rahul along with Murli Vijay have stitched another 50-run stand of this innings. The former is nearing his half ton while the latter is just 6 short of his century. 90 runs have been added in this and just like the first one it has come at a good pace. If play resumes after the break, wickets is the call for the hour for the visitors. Whereas, the home side will want to continue from where they left off.
13.55 IST: The rain has once again started to pour down. More covers have been brought in.
13.45 IST: The rain seems to have stopped but it is still overcast. Also the outfield is still wet and the covers are still out. The next inspection will take place at 1400.
13.35 IST: All of a sudden the rain has come down quite heavily! The umpires have called for the covers and the players make their way back to the pavilion. Let us hope we are not in for a long delay here and it is just a passing shower. There are chances of the umpires taking early tea.
13.33 IST: Rain stops play in Bengaluru. India 248/1 in 45.1 overs vs Afghanistan
13.31 IST: FOUR! Full marks to the bowler but runs to the batsman. Full and on middle, it is tailing away. Vijay looks to work it on the leg side but gets a leading edge through the vacant third slip region and into the fence.
13.30 IST: Six runs off Rashid Khan's over. IND 244/1 in 45 overs
13.25 IST: FOUR! Vijay plays it square of the wicket to hit a boundary and end Nabi's over. Once again bowls a bad ball and Nabi is dispatched! Half-tracker outside off, Vijay slaps it through point and moves onto 12 short of a ton. IND 238/1 in 44 overs
13.23 IST: FOUR! Short ball from Nabi and Rahul makes room and hits a boundary. Controlled shot but a risky one especially with a slip in place. Short and outside off, it is turning back in. Rahul goes back and cuts it fine through short third man for another boundary. He has scored quite a few runs in that area.
13.21 IST: Rashid Khan gives away just a single. IND 229/1 in 43 overs
13.16 IST: FOUR! Mujeeb bowls it outside the off stump and Vijay hits him for a boundary. This is class by Vijay! Flatter and quicker outside off, Murali rocks back and cuts it late through short third man for a boundary. IND 228/1 in 42 overs
13.10 IST: FIfty-run stand comes up between KL Rahul and Vijay. IND 223/1 in 41 overs. And it's time for drinks!
13.03 IST: FOUR! Rahuls hits Nabi for a boundary! On the shorter side, Rahul goes on the back foot and cuts it through point for a boundary. The run flow is just not stopping here. IND 215/1 in 39 overs
13.02 IST: FOUR! Once again makes the mistake of bowling it very full. It is outside off, Rahul leans into it and times it through covers for the second boundary of the over. IND 209/1 in 38 overs
12.57 IST: FOUR! Lovely! Dances down the track also makes room. Gets to the pitch of it and strokes it through covers for a boundary.
12.40 IST: Ahmadzai gives away 4 runs. IND 190/1 in 33 overs
12.35 IST: Back-to-back boundaries from Vijay off Rashid. IND 186/1 in 32 overs
12.33 IST: FOUR! Vijay reads Rashid's googly and hits him for a boundary. Too short and Vijay pays the price. On middle and it is the googly. He rocks back and whips it through wide mid on. Mujeeb gives up the chase and the ball crosses the fence.
12.32 IST: A maiden over from Yamin Ahmadzai. IND 174/1 in 31 overs
12.25 IST: Vijay slams 16th Test fifty. A very characteristic knock by him. He played second fiddle to Dhawan all this while but he would now look to take control and get to the three digit mark. IND 172/1 in 29.1 overs
12.20 IST: OUT! Dhawan falls for 107. Afghanistan get the breakthrough. It is Yamin who is the first Afghanistan bowler to take a Test wicket. The ideal start for them after the break. It is full and outside off, enticing Dhawan for the drive, The way he is playing he does not back out. Goes for it away from his body. The ball takes the outside edge and flies towards second slip. The fielder, Rahmat Shah, there, fails to hang on and the ball lobs up towards first slip. Nabi there shows great awareness and takes it easily. The visitors celebrate as they have the centurion. He does not add a lot to his tally after the break. The away side will now look to build on this. IND 168/1 in 28.4 overs. KL Rahul is the new man in
12.10 IST: We are back after the break. Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay will resume their innings. The latter will be on strike and he will be facing, Rashid Khan who starts the proceedings. Day 1, Session 2...
11.50 IST: Not a lot to write about the Afghan bowling. Wafadar was the most impressive as he troubled the batsman with the new ball but the spinners were all over the place. A lot was expected from Rashid, Mujeeb and Nabi but the three were guilty of either pitching it too short or bowling too full. The visitors now have to re-think their strategy and come back rejuvenated after the break or a resurgent Dhawan will probably take the game away from them. Will the carnage continue or will the away side's bowlers come to the fore? Join us in a while to find out.
11.45 IST: What a session for India and Dhawan. He walks off to a standing ovation from the crowd. Stroke-making at its best. The two openers have justified Ajinkya Rahane's decision to bat first. They looked shaky at the start when the ball was doing a bit but once the ball stopped moving, it was a combination of both, poor bowling as well as excellent batting. No bowler was spared as Dhawan hit them all over the park. Yes, they did miss a review against him but take nothing away from the knock he has played. Also credit to Murali Vijay who has given him excellent support from the other end.
11.31 IST: India 158/0 in 27 overs at Lunch on Day 1 vs Afghanistan in Bengaluru. Shikhar Dhawan 104*, Murali Vijay 41*
11.29 IST: FOUR! Once again the sweep shot is played to good effect. He goes down on one knee and sweeps it away from the square leg fielder to end the over with two consecutive boundaries.
11.28 IST: FOUR! Hundred for Dhawan, his 7th in Tests. First Indian to score it before Lunch on the opening day and the sixth overall. It has come up in just 87 deliveries and he gets there in style. This is tossed up on off, Dhawan leans into it and strokes it through wide mid off. The ball races away. He acknowledges the applause from the crowd. He would now want to make it a daddy one. Shikhar Dhawan hits 7th Test hundred off 87 ball. India 153/0 in 25.5 overs vs Afghanistan
11.25 IST: FOUR! Vijay hits Rashid for a boundary down leg side. A gift, down the leg side. All Vijay has to do is get bat to it. He does so as he sweeps it fine through the leg side.
11.24 IST: FOUR! Flurry of boundaries from Dhawan. Three in a row! A boundary away from a ton now. Another short ball outside off, Dhawan cuts this through point and another boundary results. Runs are just leaking here. IND 144/0 in 25 overs
11.23 IST: FOUR! Another boundary from Dhawan off Mujeeb. He moves into the ninties! He is toying with the bowler here! The last one was short and he expected this one to be full. He comes down the track and lofts it over the mid off fielder for another boundary.
11.23 IST: FOUR! Great shot from Dhawan! FOUR! Easy-peasy! Another short ball and there is width on offer outside off. Dhawan slaps it through covers. There is no fielder there and the ball reaches to the fence in no time.
11.20 IST: FOUR! Vijay hits Mujeeb for a four! Effortless! Slightly fuller outside off, easy for Vijay. He plants his front foot forward and drives it through covers for a boundary.
11.20 IST: Rashid Khan gives away just 2 runs. IND 127/0 in 24 overs
11.18 IST: WATCH DHAWAN CELEBRATE HIS FIFTY!
11.17 IST: Good comeback from Mujeeb, just a single run. IND 125/0 in 23 overs
11.14 IST: Rashid gives away just 2 runs off the over. IND 122/0 in 22 overs
11.11 IST: SIX! Another six off Dhawan's bat to end Mujeeb's over! Waltzes down the track, gets to the pitch of the ball and sends it wayyyy over long on. I thought when MS Dhoni lifted the trophy a couple of weeks ago, the Indian T20 League was over for this season. IND 122/0 in 21 overs
11.09 IST: SIX! This time Vijay gets going, sweeps Mujeeb over deep square leg. Full and outside off, the right-hander plonks his left leg down and sweeps it powerfully over mid-wicket!
11.08 IST: NOT OUT! Did not see that coming but an excellent decision by the umpire. It is the leggie from Rashid on middle, it pitches and turns back in sharply. Dhawan plays down the wrong line and gets hit on the front pad. The ball flies towards Shahzad at first slip who dives to his right and takes it. The players appeal for both an LBW as well a a catch but the umpire shakes his head. The players want it to be reviewed and Stanikzai signals the 'T'. Time for the replays and it shows there is no bat involved and it is going over the stumps. Afghanistan lose a review. IND 109/0 in 20 overs
11.06 IST: FOUR! Dhawan uses his feet and hits Rashid for a boundary. This is flatter and outside off, Dhawan waits for it and then guides it through short third man for another boundary.
11.05 IST: SIX! That's into the stands! Great to seen Dhawan going after the spinners. Rashid has been taken to the cleaners here! Dhawan steps down the track, this time it is a tossed up delivery. Gets to the pitch of it and lofts it over the long off fence.
11.04 IST: FOUR! Dhawan stays back to hit this googly from Rashid through covers. All the battles in the nets between the two for Hyderabad are coming in handy for Dhawan here. Another googly and outside off, Dhawan picks it once again and slaps it through covers for a boundary.
11.02 IST: Mujeeb Ur Rahman gives away just a single off his first over. IND 94/0 in 19 overs
10.57 IST: FOUR! Dhawan is not letting Rashid Khan settle in. This time he sweeps him for a boundary. This is down the leg side. Dhawan sweeps it through backward square leg and there is no stopping those. IND 93/0 in 18 overs
10.55 IST: FOUR! Great shot from Dhawan! He payed it on the rise and it wa stand and deliver kind of stuff. Crunched! Trademark Dhawan there. Slightly fuller on off, Shikhar plants his front foot forward and drives it on the up. Finds the gap between mid off and cover for a boundary. End of a long over by Wafadar, probably his last. IND 88/0 in 17 overs
10.49 IST: Good comeback from Rashid Khan, just one run off the over. IND 80/0 in 16 overs
10.45 IST: FOUR! Vijay hits Wafadar for a boundary to deep backward point. Third shot in a row in that area and this time he finds the gap. That was full timing. Slightly shorter and outside off, Vijay punches it through cover-point for a boundary. Spoils what was a good over. IND 79/0 in 15 overs
10.40 IST: FOUR! Another full toss and another boundary for Dhawan. Even worse from Rashid. This is a full toss - Dhawan just whips it through mid-wicket. Another boundary. A half century in 47 balls for the southpaw. He is looking in imperial touch. Three boundaries of the over already. IND 75/0 in 14 overs
10.39 IST: FOUR! Superb shot again from Dhawan! That is a bad ball. Dropped in short, Dhawan goes back and pulls it through mid-wicket for a boundary!
10.38 IST: FOUR! Dhawan makes full use of the juicy full toss and hits it for a boundary! Easily done. Jumps down the track, gets to the pitch of the ball and flicks it through mid-wicket for a boundary. Remember, Dhawan and Rashid play for the same team in the Indian T20 League.
10.36 IST: Rashid Khan is introduced into the attack!
10.32 IST: It's time for Drinks!
10.31 IST: FOUR! Dhawan hits Nabi for a boundary between extra cover and long-off. Dhawan loves using his feet to the spinners and he is very good at it. Gets to the pitch of the ball and slaps it through covers for back-to-back boundaries. IND 62/0 in 13 overs
10.30 IST: FOUR! Dhawan sweeps for a boundary off Nabi. That should release the pressure that was building! Dhawan sits down on one knee and Dhawan sweeps it over square leg for a boundary.
10.29 IST: Another huge appeal! The arm ball around off, Dhawan pods forward and defends it with bat and pad close to each other. The players appeal as the feel it is pad first but the umpire does not agree. They have the option to take it upstairs but do not. Replays later on show it is pad first but the impact seems to be outside off.
10.28 IST: Maiden over from Wafadar! IND 54/0 in 12 overs
10.23 IST: FOUR! Vijay sweeps Nabi for a boundary! Swept and swept fine! Vijay goes down on one knee and hits it through backward square leg. IND 54/0 in 11 overs
10.21 IST: SIX! Dhawan hits a six off Nabi! Excellent use of the feet! Gets to the pitch of it and hits it straight over the bowler's head for a biggie. First of the game.
10.18 IST: Howzat? Not out is the answer to that question. Another top nut! On a length, angles into the batsman first due to which he has to play at it. Straightens after pitching. The ball seems to have missed the outside edge as it goes into the mitts of the keeper. He though takes it and appeals. The umpire though shakes his head. Stanikzai has a long chat with his teammates and then opts against the review. Hang on now! Later on Snicko shows a spike as the ball passes the edge. An opportunity goes abegging there. IND 42/0 in 10 overs
10.11 IST: Spin introduced quite early! Mohammad Nabi is into the attack. IND 41/0 in 9 overs
10.10 IST: EDGY FOUR! Vijay's edges are working overtime here. His second boundary behind the wicket. On a length and around off, this one shapes away a touch. Vijay lunges and tries to drive it on the up. The ball takes the outside edge, past the diving second slip fielder for a boundary. IND 40/0 in 8 overs
10.06 ST: FOUR! Third boundary in the over! Perhaps this once could have been stopped. But a poor delivery, on the pads. Dhawan works it towards fine leg. Mujeeb there runs to his right, dives but fails to stop it. Fifth boundary for Dhawan, he moves onto 22. IND 36/0 in 7 overs
10.02 IST: FOUR! Back-to-back boundaries! Full and on off, Dhawan leans into it and times it through covers. India are dealing in boundaries here.
10.00 IST: FOUR! A boundary to end the last over and one to begin this one. Full and on the pads, Dhawan flicks it over square leg and the ball races away.
09.53 IST: FOUR LEG BYES! Goes wide of the crease and angles it on the pads. Vijay fails to clip but the ball clips the pads and races away to the fine leg fence. IND 18/0 in 5 overs
09.48 IST: FOUR! A boundary from Murali Vijay to end the over. Not convincing but India will hope this should get Vijay going. Another good delivery, on a length and around off. It moves away. Vijay goes for the booming drive through the off side, away from his body. He gets an inside edge which goes just past the off pole and into the fine leg fence. IND 14/0 in 3 overs
09.43 IST: FOUR! Second boundary for Dhawan. A boundary to finish what has been a poor first over by Wafadar. Another ball short and outside off, Dhawan feeds on such deliveries. He rocks back and slaps it through point for the second boundary of the over. IND 10/0 in 2 overs
09.41 IST: FOUR! First boundary of the Test match. Bit of bounce and room and Dhawan plays it through sweeper cover for four runs. This time Dhawan makes the bowler pay. Another delivery very short outside off, a lot of width on offer. Dhawan pounces on it and cuts it over point for the first boundary.
09.38 IST: Two for no loss at the end of the 1st over. IND 2/0 in 1 over
09.33 IST: Vijay starts with a single off the first ball.
09.30 IST: Anti-climax! False start by the bowler. He comes running in but then pulls out at the last moment. So the wait continues for the first ball.
09.25 IST: Done and dusted with the national anthems and we are all set for the game to begin. The sun is out for the moment and let us hope it stays like this for the whole day. Out come the Afghanistan players and interestingly Mohammad Shahzad is not with the gloves. It is Afsar Zazai who will keep wickets for the away side. They are followed by the two Indian openers, Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan. Yamin Ahmadzai will bowl the first over in Test for Afghanistan. He has three slips and a gully in place. Here we go...
09.20 IST: The teams make their way out for the national anthems. The away side will sings its first. Followed by the home team.
09.15 IST: Playing XIs
Afghanistan: Mohammad Shahzad, Javed Ahmadi, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Stanikzai(c), Afsar Zazai(w), Mohammad Nabi, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Yamin Ahmadzai, Wafadar
India: Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Lokesh Rahul, Dinesh Karthik(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav
09.12 IST: Captain's Speak
Ajinkya Rahane: We're going to bat first. Looks like a good wicket to bat on. There's some grass but in India it's important to bat first. Crucial. Important to start well after the IPL/T20 season. Historic moment for both nations. The boys are very confident, especially the last Test we played in Jo'burg against South Africa. Our preparation has been fantastic, and it's been about tuning our mind rather than our skills. Coming from T20, it's all about changing your attitude and mindset. The guys are really looking forward to it. Always an honour to captain India. We are not taking them lightly at all. All opponents are the same, and we wish to be ruthless here. The guys left out are Kuldeep, Saini, Nair, and Shardul.
Ashgar Stanikzai: Proud that we are playing our first Test. All the guys have some first-class experience, but out first Test, obviously. First one hour, it will be a good wicket for bowling, so happy to be bowling first. If we get wickets, it'll be good for us.
09.10 IST: All three openers are playing, which means KL Rahul will bat at No. 4. No Karun Nair, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur or Navdeep Saini.
09.05 IST: Just before the toss, in a special gesture, former India all-rounder Salim Durani presented a memento to Afghan captain Asghar Stanikzai. Interestingly, Durani was born in Afghanistan.
09.00 IST: TOSS - India win toss, opt to bat against Afghanistan in Bengaluru; Afghanistan becomes 12th Test playing nation
08.55 IST: Pitch Report - Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes that the pitch at M Chinnaswamy Stadium has plenty of grass and will offer lots of lateral movement. Also, the overcast conditions might force the captain winning the toss to bowl first.
08.50 IST: Meanwhile, Afghanistan will be banking on their spinners to do the job against an Indian batting line-up, which has plenty of experience. In the build-up to the match, Afghan captain had said that his side has got better spinners than India. Here's how India's stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane responded.
08.45 IST: Well, it's not just Afghanistan who would be jittery ahead of their maiden Test, hosts India too are facing some dilemma over their playing XI. Take a look: India's selection headaches: Rahul vs Karun, Kuldeep as extra spinner?
08.30 IST: As Afghanistan is set to become the 12th Test playing nation, here's Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wishing the Afghans.
Brief Preview: A new chapter is set to be scripted in the history of Test cricket as World No.1 Test team India set to host Afghanistan in their maiden International Test match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday (June 14). A ruthless India take on a war-ravaged yet resilient Afghanistan in a one-off Test. There is always a nervous anticipation associated with the performance of a new team but the politico-social narrative associated with Afghanistan gives the game a different context. On the surface, it is just another Test match but it is much beyond that. The Rashids, Mujeeb Zadrans and Mohammed Shahzads would like to put their best foot forward in trying to at least provide their countrymen a refuge in sporting success. India have been Afghanistan's close allies and the BCCI has shown magnanimity in opening their stadiums so that the national team can practice. But come Thursday, Ajinkya Rahane's India will not spare an inch as they are expected to put up a ruthless show. (READ FULL PREVIEW)
