Reality bites: India crush Afghanistan inside two days

Reality bites: India crush Afghanistan inside two days

BENGALURU: Afghanistan’s dreams of scripting a fairytale turned into a virtual nightmare as a ruthlessly professional India demolished them by an innings and 262 runs inside two days to win the historic one-off Test match here.  

Afghanistan came across painfully short of experience for the longest format and were bowled out for 109 and 103 in pursuit of India’s first innings total of 474 all outon Friday morning.  

Afghans, who have some impressive accomplishments in the shortest format lasted a total of 66.3 overs (27.5 overs and 38.4 overs), posing serious questions over their readiness to cope up with demands of five-day cricket. 

The gulf in class was a reality but the Test match exposed their inability to understand the needs of the longest format. Their performance lends support to the demands for a two-tier Test format, which could get them battle-ready for future series. 

With an average first-class experience of less than 15 matches, Test cricket wouldn’t have been easy for Afghans but if a robust first-class structure isn’t put in place, ICC’s novel idea may just backfire. 

Brief Scores, India 474 all out (Shikhar Dhawan 107, Murali Vijay 105, Hardik Pandya 71, Yamin Ahmadzai 3-51) beat Afghanistan 109 (Mohammad Nabi 24, Ravichandran Ashwin 4-27, Ravindra Jadeja 2-18) and 103 (Hashmatullah Shahidi 36*, Ravindra Jadeja 4-17, Umesh Yadav 3-26).

RESULT: India win by an innings and 262  runs.

SUPER SHOW BY INDIA
- This was the first time that India won a Test match in two days while it has now happened for the 21st time in the 141-year-history of the traditional format. 
- India, also become the first team to claim 20 wickets in a day.  
- Twenty-four wickets tumbled on the second day in Bengaluru. 

UMESH  CLAIMS 100TH TEST WICKET
- Umesh Yadav picked up his 100th Test wickets, becoming the eighth Indian pace bowler to achieve the landmark in the longer format of the game.
- Umesh picked up Rahmat Shah as his 100th Test wicket after he trapped him plumb in front of the wickets. 
- Umesh became the 22nd Indian Test bowler to claim hundred wickets.
- The right-arm pacer thus joined the elite list of Kapil Dev, who bagged 434 wickets in 131 tests, and Zahir Khan who grabbed 311 in 92 Tests.

CAPTAIN KOHLI TAKES YO YO TEST
- Indian captain Virat Kohli, along with former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, took the fitness test which would determine his availability for the gruelling tour of United Kingdom starting June 27.
- The YoYo test, which is the basic fitness parameter set by the Indian team management before any tour, was conducted at the National Cricket Academy ground, in the presence of Team India trainer Shankar Basu and the other support staff.

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