KABUL (Pajhwok): India ended a dominant opening day of the one-off Test against Afghanistan at 368 for 3 at stumps, maintaining control for most of the day despite intermittent breakthroughs from the visitors.
India won the toss and elected to bat first on a surface that initially offered uneven bounce before easing for batting as the day progressed.
Afghanistan’s bowlers toiled in testing conditions, with Saleem Safi returning figures of 2 for 67 and Zia Sharifi claiming 1 for 61 as they accounted for three Indian wickets across the day.
Earlier sessions saw India build steadily on strong top-order contributions, capitalising on periods when Afghanistan’s attack struggled to sustain pressure. Despite a few near-chances and moments of promise in the field, the visitors were unable to contain the scoring for extended spells.
With a solid platform already in place, India head into day two in a commanding position, while Afghanistan will look for early breakthroughs to restrict further damage.
sa
