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India produced a near-perfect day of Test cricket on Day 2 of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh, strengthening their position with a dominant all-round performance. After posting a massive first-innings total, the hosts turned the screws with the ball as debutant spinner Manav Suthar delivered an impressive spell that left Afghanistan struggling badly. His dream start to international cricket quickly became a major talking point among fans, who flooded social media with praise for the young left-arm spinner.
India pile up 564 before declaration
Resuming from a commanding overnight position, India continued to bat with authority during the morning session. Captain Shubman Gill, who had already laid the foundation with a magnificent century, finished with a superb 126, leading from the front in style. Rishabh Pant entertained the crowd with a typically aggressive knock of 81, taking the attack to the Afghan bowlers and ensuring India maintained a healthy scoring rate. Lower down the order, Washington Sundar added valuable runs and remained unbeaten on 52, helping the hosts cross the 550-run mark.
With the scoreboard reading an imposing 564/8, India decided to declare and challenge Afghanistan’s batting unit under mounting pressure. For the visitors, pacer Mohammad Saleem emerged as the standout performer. Despite receiving little assistance from the other bowlers, he kept fighting throughout the innings and was rewarded with career-best figures of 6/140.
Manav Suthar enjoys a dream debut
Afghanistan needed a solid start to remain competitive in the contest, but India’s bowlers had other ideas. Making his Test debut, Suthar immediately looked at home in the longest format. The left-arm spinner displayed remarkable control, varying his pace cleverly and extracting enough turn to trouble the Afghan batters.
Suthar dismissed three key batters and finished the day with excellent figures of 3/21, putting India firmly on top. His ability to attack the stumps and maintain pressure from one end created numerous scoring difficulties for the visitors. Prasidh Krishna complemented the spinner brilliantly. The fast bowler generated bounce and movement, picking up 2/27 while consistently asking questions of the Afghan batting lineup. Together, the duo ensured Afghanistan never found any momentum during their innings.
Fans celebrate India’s newest bowling star
As Suthar continued to make breakthroughs, cricket fans were quick to react online. Many praised the youngster’s composure on debut, while others highlighted how seamlessly he adapted to Test cricket. Several supporters described his spell as one of the most encouraging debut performances by an Indian spinner in recent times. Others pointed out that India’s bowling depth continues to grow, with another promising youngster stepping up on the international stage. The positive reactions reflected the excitement surrounding Suthar’s performance and the impact he made in his very first Test appearance.
Also WATCH: Prasidh Krishna cleans up Sediqullah Atal with a beauty on Day 2 of the one-off Test – IND vs AFG
Here’s how fans reacted:
As a kid I watched Rajinder Goel ji bowling towards the very last of his illustrious Ranji career and Manav Suthar’s bowling action is strikingly similar. He can be a good good-wicket spinner for India https://t.co/EInP7s64Ee
— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) June 7, 2026
He makes his debut and continues to paint the canvas with the red ball.
MANAV SUTHAR🤩👏 #indvafg https://t.co/iferQcMTXi
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) June 7, 2026
Heard so much about Manav Suthar and I can see why. So enjoying watching him bowl.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) June 7, 2026
🧿 Manav Suthar’s Journey 🇮🇳💙
• 2023 – Started making a name for himself in domestic cricket as a left-arm spinner 🌟
• 2024 – Performed well for Rajasthan and picked up important wickets 👏
• 2025 – Continued his good form and became one of the exciting young spinners in… pic.twitter.com/Ti3QYOSmTm— s (@CaptainDeMio) June 7, 2026
Looks like in Manav Suthar, India have found another wily left-arm spinner who’ll be a handful for every visiting Test team
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) June 7, 2026
Manav Suthar is just 23 years old, and the way he’s bowling, he looks like a genuine prospect for India.
He still has a lot to learn and polish, but he has the potential to become a long-term spinning option the team desperately needs.
Hope he stays in the setup, keeps learning,… pic.twitter.com/KaH05EUgwJ— Vipin Tiwari (@Vipintiwari952) June 7, 2026
🚨 MANAV SUTHAR ON TEST DEBUT 🔥🇮🇳
📊 15.5 Overs
🎯 7 Maidens
💥 3 Wickets
🏏 Just 21 Runs ConcededWhat a dream start to Test cricket! 🤯👏
Manav Suthar has been absolutely outstanding on debut, showing incredible control, patience and skill against Afghanistan. 🔥
At just… pic.twitter.com/DPsKHplJgl
— Cricket lover (@harty_sa) June 7, 2026
Mighty impressed with Manav Suthar. High arm action, superb revs on the ball, extracting sharp spin, good pace variation. Solid prospect.
— Subhayan Chakraborty (@CricSubhayan) June 7, 2026
Manav Suthar: 15.5-7-21-3 on debut! 🔥
A dream start in Test cricket — India’s standout bowler in the match so far. A future star in the longer format. 🇮🇳⭐🏏 pic.twitter.com/xu8fPAcWli
— Gencric Bharat (@SinghNiranjan2) June 7, 2026
Manav Suthar 15.5-7-21-3 on flat deck🔥
Dream Debut 🇮🇳 https://t.co/5C47wUGJqy pic.twitter.com/j2GzhPhZl7
— कट्टर INDIA समर्थक 🦁🇮🇳 ™ (@KKRWeRule) June 7, 2026
Manav Suthar bowling on debut for India looking very, very tidy. Another decent spinner? What a bloody surprise🙄
— Kurt (@_kjs1874) June 7, 2026
Suthar to pick the POTM in the first Test Match. What an incredible addition to India’s Test team. The index finger on top of the ball at the time of release ensures that he gets the drift and the extra bounce after pitching. Top class. #INDvsAFG
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) June 7, 2026
Afghanistan facing an uphill battle
Despite a fighting effort from Rahmat Shah, Afghanistan struggled to cope with India’s disciplined bowling attack. Rahmat stood firm and battled hard for his 43, but wickets continued to tumble around him.
By stumps, Afghanistan were reeling at 113/5 after 39.5 overs, still trailing India by a massive 451 runs. With India holding a commanding advantage and their bowlers operating with confidence, the hosts appear well-positioned to push for an innings victory on Day 3. Unless Afghanistan can produce a remarkable turnaround, India look set to complete a comprehensive win and begin their Test season on a highly positive note.
