Mullanpur |Rishabh Pant missed a golden opportunity to score his ninth hundred while Washington Sundar got a pressure free half-century as India piled up a mammoth 564 for 8 against Afghanistan on the second day of the one-off Test.
At tea, Afghanistan reached 28 for 1 with debutant Manav Suthar getting his first Test wicket off his very first delivery when Abdul Malik (16) went for a slog sweep and Mohammed Siraj took a dolly at short leg.
On Sunday, Pant answered his critics in the best possible manner with a stroke-filled 81 while Afghanistan pacer Mohammad Saleem enjoyed the fruits of labour in punishing weather with figures of 6 for 140.
In-front of a sparse Sunday crowd, Pant did play his signature strokes but also curbed his natural instinct to go after each delivery, treating each ball on its merit during his 121-ball knock that had six boundaries and three sixes.
He should have completed his century but debutant left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote, who suddenly slowed the pace considerably. Pant charged down the track but couldn't fully reach to the pitch of the delivery as the lofted hit ballooned up for a simple catch.
For Afghanistan, their IPL star Azmatullah Omarzai was distinctly unlucky. He was very impressive with the second new ball, beating the bat on a number of occasions without much luck. In fact, like first day, Pant like KL Rahul also edged one but no one from Afghanistan team appealed for caught behind. The replays, though, showed a snick.
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In the first hour of second morning, Shubman Gill (126 off 177 balls) was dismissed by Mohammad Saleem (4/109 in 20 overs), who bowled a beauty to get rid of Indian skipper.
It was pitched on fuller length on off-stump channel drawing Gill forward and then there was a hint of outward movement taking the edge of his bat ending a 169-run stand.
Dhruv Jurel (19 off 20 balls) played a few beautiful shot square of the wicket but Saleem got one to reverse as Jurel decided to leave the ball on length only to find his off-stump pegged back.
However one dismissal that left the crowd high and dry was Pant's as they were expecting some more fireworks from him once the spinners came into operation.
Washington (52 not out off 68 balls) and Manav Suthar (28 off 41 balls) added 54 for the seventh wicket to take the team past 500 run mark. With bowlers tiring, Washington calmly rotated strike and hit the occasional six. Just after he completed his half-century, Gill signalled for declaration.
Scoreboard at lunch on the second day of the one-off Test between India and Afghanistan here Sunday.
India 1st innings:
Yashasvi Jaiswal c Afsar Zazai b Mohammad Saleem 24
KL Rahul c Rahmanullah Gurbaz b Ziaur Rahman 100
Sai Sudharsan c Afsar Zazai b Mohammad Saleem 81
Shubman Gill c Afsar Zazai b Mohammad Saleem 126
Rishabh Pant c Azmatullah Omarzai b Hashmatullah Shahidi 81
Dhruv Jurel b Mohammad Saleem 19
Washington Sundar batting 14
Manav Suthar batting 9
Extras: (B-4 LB-12 NB-4 W-1) 21
Total: (For 6 wickets in 110 overs) 475
Fall of wickets: 1/41 2/180 3/247 4/416 5/452 6/456
Bowling: Ziaur Rahman 22-2-87-1, Azmatullah Omarzai 19-4-54-0, Mohammad Saleem 20-2-109-4, Nangeyalia Kharote 21-0-96-0,
Abdul Malik 7-0-43-0, Hashmatullah Shahidi 21-1-70-1.
