The atmosphere was abuzz with the expectations of 19-year-old leg-spinning sensation Rashid Khan in his country’s maiden Test. 

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Khan has become a household name and everybody’s darling in India, thanks to his IPL exploits in 2017 and 2018, picking up 17 and 21 wickets, respectively.

While he may be known for teasing the batsmen with his variations, bowling googlies at will in limited-overs, Khan has a stupendous record in the four first-class matches he has played in. He has picked up 35 wickets including 12 wickets in his maiden fixture against England Lions in Abu Dhabi in December 2016.

When Khan came to bowl in the 14th over of the Indian innings as second change bowler with Indian openers Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay already 62 in front, he had a task to contain the hosts on a pitch that was good to bat on.

But in his anxiety to pick up wickets, Khan erred in his line and length. His first ball in Test cricket was a short-pitched one to Murali Vijay. Shikhar Dhawan, his Sunrisers Hyderabad teammate, attacked him from the very first over. Dhawan despatched two full tosses and a short ball to boundary to unsettle the Afghanistan's main weapon straightaway.

“I enjoyed my battle with Rashid since I dominated him. I went with the flow. I have faced him in the nets for two years as we are in the same team in IPL. I am used to his bowling and had the advantage,” Dhawan, who scored 107 on the day, 51 coming off 42 deliveries against Khan alone.

Khan strayed in line with the new ball, perhaps not able to grip the shiny SG Test ball, which apparently the Afghanistan team is playing with for the first time. Anything that was outside off-stump, the Indian batsmen cut. Anything around leg, Dhawan swept him. And, to demoralise the teenager, Dhawan stepped out once to loft him straight for six.

Murali Vijay was not to be left behind, flicking a wayward delivery down the leg-side and stepping out and driving through the on-side for fours. Full-tosses and short balls, which were aplenty in the first two sessions, reduced from Rashid’s wrist in the final session.

Number 3 batsman KL Rahul also played Khan with aplomb, pulling and cutting him for fours, bring all his IPL experience of facing him to the fore.

Khan looked the bowler that many have known through his IPL exploits, sending down a large percentage of leg-spins in this session as opposed to his googlies. While his first two spells read a sorry 12-0-82-0, including 7-0-51-0 before lunch, and 5-0-23-0, Khan’s third spell was a dream 9-2-15-1, picking up the wicket of Indian skipper Ajinkya Rahane in his 21st over.

Playing cautiously against Khan, Rahane played at Khan and missed to be trapped above the roll on his right leg. Initially given not out by Australian Paul Reiffel, DRS forced him to reverse the decision.

Khan was earlier unlucky to not have got Dhawan leg before as the then 20 overs old ball bounced more and was missing the stumps even though the ball pitched and impacted the left-handed batsman in line of the stumps.

After two interruptions, India were never the same in the final session. Khan thrived on this and troubled the batsmen. The bowlers from the other end also drew confidence from Khan and kept putting pressure.

Team-mate Yamin Ahmadzai, who became the first Afghanistan bowler to take a Test wicket for the nation, said later in the day: “In the first two sessions, the ball was new and not gripping well. Rashid was also trying too much in these two sessions. But in the third session, he tried to bowl wicket to wicket and the gripping was good.”

Khan, and Afghanistan bowlers, will learn as they play more cricket. Despite feeling nervous walking out to field on their first day in Test cricket, they have done well to bounce back and share the day’s honours with the No. 1 Test team.