New Delhi: Indian captain Shabman Gul He described his team’s comprehensive victory against Afghanistan as a near-perfect performance, saying the team had “ticked all the boxes” with a strong performance in the only Test.Declared after taking India to 564 for 8 and then watching his bowlers dismiss Afghanistan twice, Gayle was delighted with the contribution from every department.Gill himself scored a magnificent century, while KL Rahul also scored a century as India declared on 564/8. The hosts then relied on a brilliant spin performance, led by debutant Manav Sothar, to beat Afghanistan by an innings and 300 runs, India’s biggest win in Test history.“I think a complete win from us, ticked all the boxes. Very happy with it,” Gayle said during the post-match presentation.The win also offered a glimpse of India’s future. With several senior players absent and a younger group taking on more responsibilities, Gill acknowledged that batting units often face more scrutiny during transitions.However, the skipper believes the blueprint is simple: rely on a bowling attack capable of taking 20 wickets in any condition and after a substantial first-innings total.“I would say very easy. When you’re batting in the first innings, try to post 350 on the board every time you go in to bat, no matter where we’re playing, what kind of conditions it is,” Gill said.The confidence comes from the quality of India’s bowling resources.“I think we have enough confidence in our bowling group that we can take 20 wickets anywhere.”
India’s biggest innings win
- Innings and 300 runs vs AFG, Milanpur, 2026*
- Innings and 272 runs vs WI, Rajkot, 2018
- Innings and 262 runs vs AFG, Bengaluru, 2018
- innings and 239 runs vs BAN, Mirpur, 2007
- Innings and 239 runs vs SL, Nagpur, 2017
- The only major innings win on Indian soil is WI vs IND at Eden Gardens in 1958 (innings and 336 runs).
- In comparison, the only other highest innings by an Asian team is by PAK vs NZ in Lahore in 2002 (innings and 324 runs).
One of the highlights during the match was India’s decision to enforce the follow-on after bowling Afghanistan out for 152 runs. Despite taking a big lead, the decision was not straightforward given the intense heat and workload on the bowlers.Gill revealed that the team management had discussed several scenarios before deciding on their approach.“It was very hot. We decided that if we get them before lunch or just after first drinks, we’ll see if the bowlers are fresh and we’ll give them a follow-on. If not, we’ll bat for a couple of sessions and at the end of the day, we’ll give them the ball again,” Gill said.The bowlers soon assured the skipper that they were ready for another round. Muhammad Siraj suffered an initial setback after the implementation of the follow-on Prasad KrishnaThe crucial achievements of , ensured that Afghanistan never gained any momentum.“But we got quick wickets, we came back. And the way our fast bowlers bowled, Siraj got us that important wicket when we gave him the follow-on and Parsed got three important wickets,” the skipper said.India’s spinners also played a decisive role in the victory. Debutant Manav Sothar took six wickets in the first innings, Washington Sundar took four wickets in the second innings and Kuldeep Yadav took three wickets as Afghanistan struggled against India’s varied spin attack.Gill said there was never any doubt about the quality of the trio.“I think the kind of quality that Manu, Vashi and Kuldeep have, all three of them, there was never any doubt.”According to the Indian captain, the next step for spinners is to gain experience, learn to bowl longer spells and understand how to build pressure in different situations.“It’s all about getting experience and playing a lot of overs and seeing how to set the batsman up on wickets like this, keep varying the pace, keep testing the batsman in different areas.”Gayle also admitted that India’s young batting group is still a work in progress, with the team focused on developing a clear identity and approach in different situations.“Whenever there is a change, we feel the batting group is under more pressure and we are trying to gain experience. We are here trying to see what kind of game can work for us as a batting group and in different conditions and different situations.”For Gill, the long-term goal is to build a batting unit capable of consistently dominating matches through substantial first-innings scores.“How can we keep posting 350-400 totals regularly on the board (going forward).”
