India wins the toss and chooses to bat against Afghanistan in a one-off cricket test

India’s cricket captain, Shubman Gill, made the decision to bat first after winning the toss in the one-off test match against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh. This match marks only the second test encounter between these two teams, with their previous meeting in 2018 resulting in a victory for India.

This test match holds significance for Afghanistan as it is their 13th test overall, with no points being accrued towards the World Test Championship. India’s recent test record includes a 2-0 loss to South Africa at home in November, adding pressure on the team to perform well in this match.

For this test, India chose to field two pace bowlers, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj, along with debutant left-arm spinner Manav Suthar. Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar were the other two spinners in the lineup. On the other hand, Afghanistan, led by Hashmatullah Shahidi, opted for three spinners, including debutant Nangeyalia Kharote.

The pitch in New Chandigarh is expected to favor the batters initially, with spin playing a crucial role as the test progresses. The inclusion of experienced players and debutants on both sides sets the stage for an exciting and competitive match.

Here are the lineups for both teams:
India: Lokesh Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.

Afghanistan: Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Afsar Zazai, Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangeyalia Kharote, Ziaur Rahman, Mohammad Saleem.

Stay tuned for more updates on this thrilling test match between India and Afghanistan. For more cricket news, visit https://apnews.com/hub/cricket.