NEW DELHI: India captain Shubman Gill described his side’s comprehensive victory over Afghanistan as a near-perfect performance, saying the team had “ticked all the boxes” in a dominant display in the one-off Test.After leading India to 564 for 8 declared and then watching his bowlers dismiss Afghanistan twice, Gill was delighted with the contributions from every department.Gill himself scored a brilliant century, while KL Rahul also notched up a ton as India piled on a mammoth 564/8 declared. The hosts then rode on an impressive spin performance, led by debutant Manav Suthar, to crush Afghanistan by an innings and 300 runs – India’s biggest victory in Test history.“I think a complete win from us, ticked all the boxes. So very happy with that,” Gill said during the post-match presentation.The victory also offered a glimpse into India’s future. With several senior players absent and a younger group taking on greater responsibility, Gill acknowledged that batting units often face greater scrutiny during periods of transition.However, the skipper believes the blueprint is simple: post substantial first-innings totals and trust a bowling attack capable of taking 20 wickets in any conditions.“I’d say pretty simple. When you’re batting first innings, try to post 350 on the board every time you get into bat, no matter where we are playing, what kind of conditions it is,” Gill mentioned.The confidence stems from the quality of India’s bowling resources.“I think there’s enough trust in our bowling group that we can take 20 wickets anywhere.”
Biggest innings wins for India
- Inns & 300 runs vs AFG, Mullanpur, 2026*
- Inns & 272 runs vs WI, Rajkot, 2018
- Inns & 262 runs vs AFG, Bengaluru, 2018
- Inns & 239 runs vs BAN, Mirpur, 2007
- Inns & 239 runs vs SL, Nagpur, 2017
- The only bigger innings wins on Indian soil are by WI vs IND at Eden Gardens in 1958 (Inns & 336 runs).
- The only other biggest innings wins by an Asian team than this are by PAK vs NZ in Lahore in 2002 (Inns & 324 runs).
One of the major talking points during the match was India’s decision to enforce the follow-on after bowling Afghanistan out for 152. Despite holding a huge lead, the decision was not straightforward given the extreme heat and workload on the bowlers.Gill revealed that the team management had discussed multiple scenarios before deciding on their approach.“It was very hot. We decided that if we get them before lunch or just after the first drinks, we’ll see if the bowlers are fresh we’ll give them a follow-on. If not, we’ll bat a couple of sessions and maybe at the end of the day, we’ll give them the ball again,” Gill said.The bowlers quickly convinced the captain they were ready for another stint. Mohammed Siraj struck an early blow after the follow-on was enforced, while Prasidh Krishna‘s key breakthroughs ensured Afghanistan never gained any momentum.“But we got quick wickets, we came back. And also the way our fast bowlers bowled, Siraj got us that crucial wicket when we gave them a follow-on and Prasidh got three important wickets,” the skipper said.India’s spinners also played a decisive role in the victory. Debutant Manav Suthar starred with six wickets in the first innings, Washington Sundar picked up four wickets in the second innings and Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with three as Afghanistan struggled against India’s varied spin attack.Gill said there was never any doubt about the quality possessed by the trio.“The kind of quality, I think, Manav, Washi and Kuldeep has, all three of them, there was never any doubt.”According to the India captain, the next step for the spinners is gaining experience, learning to bowl long spells and understanding how to build pressure in different conditions.“It’s all about getting the experience and getting a number of overs and seeing, on wickets like these how to set the batsman up, keep varying the pace, keep testing the batsman in different areas.”Gill also admitted that India’s young batting group remains a work in progress, with the team focused on developing a clear identity and approach across varying conditions.“Whenever there’s a transition, we feel the batting group is under more pressure and we are trying to get experience. We’re trying to build here 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 objective is to create a batting unit capable of consistently dominating matches through substantial first-innings scores.“How we can keep posting regularly 350-400 totals on the board (going forward).”
