India Dominate Ind vs Afg One-Off Test Day 2 After Suthar Magic

India took total command of the one-off Test match at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium. Hosts left Afghanistan trailing by a mammoth 451 runs in Ind vs Afg one-off test on Day 2. 

After declaring their first innings at an imposing 564 for 8, the Indian bowling unit, spearheaded by debutant Manav Suthar, dismantled Afghanistan's top order to leave the visitors reeling at 113 for 5.

Resuming the day at an overnight 368 for 3, Indian skipper Shubman Gill extended his fine form, adding 23 runs to his overnight score to reach 126 before being caught behind off Mohammad Saleem Safi. Gill’s masterclass, paired with KL Rahul’s patient 100 from Day 1, laid a bulletproof foundation for the hosts. Rishabh Pant then provided the morning entertainment, hitting a quickfire 81 off 121 balls, which included three massive sixes.

Despite India's run-fest, Afghanistan’s right-arm pacer Mohammad Saleem Safi emerged as a lone fighter. Safi extracted significant bounce on a largely placid pitch, running through the middle-order to claim a valiant maiden five-wicket haul, eventually finishing with figures of 6 for 140. 

He picked up the wickets of Gill, Sudharsan, and Jurel in quick succession to momentarily give Afghanistan a breath of fresh air before lunch. However, Washington Sundar blunted the resurgence with a steady, unbeaten 52. As soon as Sundar crossed his half-century, Gill called for a post-lunch declaration after 127 overs.

Faced with a mountainous task, the Afghan reply faltered immediately under relentless pressure from the Indian bowlers. Pacer Prasidh Krishna made early inroads to unseat the openers, but the true architect of Afghanistan’s collapse was debutant left-arm spinner Manav Suthar. Suthar bowled with remarkable control and guile, ripping through the spine of the visitors' batting order. He finished the evening with incredible, restrictive figures of 3 wickets for just 21 runs from 15.5 overs. 

Suthar accounted for dangerous batsmen, including Rahmanullah Gurbaz and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, fundamentally breaking the back of the run chase.

By the end of the day's play, Rahmat Shah stood tall as the lone survivor for the visitors, playing a gritty, defensive knock of 43 not out from 81 deliveries. Afghanistan faces a steep uphill mountain on Day 3 to avoid the follow-on.