India’s lone Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh may be the start of their Red Ball season, but the outcome will have no bearing on their World Test Championship (WTC) ambitions. The match scheduled from June 6 to June 10 at the Maharaja Yadavendra Singh International Cricket Stadium is outside the WTC 2025-27 cycle as Afghanistan is not one of the nine teams participating in the championship. As a result, neither the points nor the standings will be affected regardless of the results. While the competition may have lost the significance of the WTC, it remains an important reality for India. The Shubman Gill-led side will use the game as an opportunity to reconnect with the demands of Test cricket after a long white-ball season and ahead of a crucial stretch of Championship fixtures. India currently faces an uphill battle in the WTC standings after mixed results over the past year. With nine Championship Tests remaining in the cycle, including series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand before the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, every WTC match from here on will be of considerable importance. This makes the Afghanistan Test a valuable preparation exercise rather than a points-scoring opportunity. This match will allow the Indian management to assess the combination, give the players more time in between and plan for the challenges ahead. This game is of historical importance for Afghanistan. It will be only their second Test against India, eight years after the two sides met in Bengaluru in 2018, a match that marked Afghanistan’s debut in Test cricket. The visitors will now have a chance to test themselves again against one of the format’s traditional powerhouses. While the scoreboard in New Chandigarh won’t change the WTC table, both teams have a lot to gain. India can sharpen their red-ball skills ahead of a demanding Championship schedule, while Afghanistan get another rare opportunity to compete at the highest level of Test cricket.
