India vs Afghanistan, Only Test, Day 1: Hits and Misses
Afghanistan took on India at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Thursday (June 14) for the first ever Test encounter of their cricketing history. It was a big occasion for the underdogs, as they took centre stage against the biggest lion in the jungle on their very first attempt.
The visitors seemed flustered for the initial half of the first day but got into their own in the latter sessions. The last hour, in particular, was very fruitful for Afghanistan, churning a spate of wickets for them before the end of day's play.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, the hosts are now at 347 for the loss of six wickets at stumps. Their top order stepped up in the game and thus, have now given India a strong foundation for the rest of the day. The Test debutantes, though, have shown signs of dynamism and exuberance in their first look in the white flannels and will be rearing for the challenges they will come across tomorrow.
Here are the hits and misses from the day's action:
#5 Hit: Shikhar Dhawan
In the absence of skipper Virat Kohli, the trio of Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, and KL Rahul was incorporated into the Indian playing XI against Afghanistan. All three of them shone brightly and the opening duo, in particular, put up a mammoth 168-run stand for the first wicket.
Dhawan recorded the seventh century of his Test career to score 107 runs off just 96 deliveries on the day.
His batting looked effortless and dynamic, as he took apart the Afghanistan spin attack and stitched a formidable stand with Vijay to torment the visitors furthermore. The man from Delhi hit a total of 19 fours and three massive sixes in the knock, which helped him maintain a strike-rate below 100 throughout the innings.