Cricket
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 out today.
Updated : Jan 18, 2019, 06:02 PM IST
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 out today.
To begin with, the No. 1 side, India too had its share of ‘firsts’ during the historic one-off Test against Afghanistan that ended on Friday.
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. Also, India became the first team to claim 20 wickets in a day.
Here are some of Afghanistan’s memorable ‘firsts’ in Test cricket:
First captain: Asghar Stanikzai
First ball bowled: Yamin Ahmadzai, to Murali Vijay
First wicket taken: Ahmadzai, who had Shikhar Dhawan caught by Mohammad Nabi
First catch: Mohammad Nabi, of Dhawan off Ahmadzai, mentioned above
First run out: Nasir Jamal (substitute), who ran out Dinesh Karthik
First ball faced: Mohammad Shahzad, from Umesh Yadav
First run scored: Shahzad, a four off Umesh, off the third ball
First four: Shahzad, off Umesh, mentioned above
First six: Mujeeb Ur Rahman, off Ravindra Jadeja
Apart from the firsts, there are a few more records that knocked on Afghanistan’s door in their not-so-memorable Test debut.
Afghan Captain Asghar Stanikzai included three teenage debutants in their maiden Test - Rashid (19), Wafadar Momand (18), and Mujeeb (17). Bangladesh had three teenage debutants as well, against Sri Lanka at SSC in 2002. The record lies with Zimbabwe, who had four, against Sri Lanka at Harare in 2004.
The most unwanted record went to Rashid Khan’s name. Bowling 34.5 overs, Rashid gave away 154 runs and thereby became the most expensive bowler in an innings in a team’s inaugural Test.