India return to Test cricket after six-month gap to clash with Afghanistan

The Indian team is all set to return to action in whites after a staggering six months as they clash with Afghanistan in an one-off Test match. The last time India played a Test was in November where they were schooled 2-0 by South Africa in a two-match Test series.

For Shubman Gill and company, this will be a stern challenge with many new names coming onboard. One of India’s major problems in recent times in the longest format of the game has been their batting unit. Ever since Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli has stepped down, India has been in desperate search of someone who can bring experience.

For the hosts, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul will be the big names to show the way. Alongside the experienced campaigners, the newcomers in the form of Devdutt Padikkal, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey will also be exciting to watch, considering the impressive showdowns that they conjured in the domestic season.

Afghanistan will be desperate to put in a show to remember as this is a major opportunity for the side to showcase their talent. Especially a Test against a full-member team like India will also give them significant exposure while honing their talents for the days to come.

Venue Watch

The surface in Punjab will have a good bit of movement early on. Despite the carry being perfectly fine, the new ball will do its fair bit. However, as the sun beats down on the surface for the remainder of the day, the pitch will harden and the ball will be coming a lot better to the bat. The ball will also tend to soften, leading to bowlers facing challenges in the latter half of the day.

Match detail:

Match: India vs Afghanistan, 1st Test

Venue: Maharaja Singh PCA Stadium, Tira

Date: 6th June, 2026

Time: 9:30 AM

Head-to-head:

Matches played: 1

India: 1

Afghanistan: 0

Squads:

India:

Shubman Gill (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper)

Afghanistan:

Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmanullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafudin Ashraf, Nangyal Kharotai, Qais Ahmad, Bilal Sami, Zia Sharifi, Saleem Safi