The dawn of a fresh Test season carries an abiding allure. The maroonish-red hue of the brand new ball, the expanse of lush green gleaming under azure skies, the players stretching every sinew in creamy white flannels, all enrich the unique rhythms of the game’s oldest format.
After a heavy diet of T20 cricket in this part of the world, the one-off Test between India and Afghanistan from Saturday (May 5, 2026) will hope to showcase some of these fine aspects. The venue will be the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium, which is poised to become the country’s 31st Test centre.
On the face of it, of course, an assignment against Afghanistan for Shubman Gill & Co. should be a cosy precursor to more gruelling challenges. It isn’t even part of the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. But for India’s current Test outfit, reeling from a series defeat to South Africa last November, the need to set things right in this version is pressing.
Particularly at home, which was an impregnable bastion for 12 long years, India has conspicuously floundered in recent times. The whitewash by New Zealand in a three-Test series in 2024 precipitated the downturn. In the current WTC cycle, India is sixth in the standings.
But head coach Gautam Gambhir doesn’t quite believe all is lost in the quest to make the WTC final next year. Two Tests each against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, and a blockbuster five-match series at home against Australia await after facing Afghanistan. “Till you have the opportunity to qualify for the WTC final, you are always optimistic,” Gambhir stressed on Friday (May 5).
Fuelling the coach’s belief is the vast array of talent. In this squad, amidst the more established faces, the likes of Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Manav Suthar, Harsh Dubey and Gurnoor Brar bring spark and novelty.
Not all of these will fit into the XI, but Sai Sudharsan seems set to continue at No. 3. “Honestly, Sai Sudharsan hasn’t got a fair chance. He started his Test career in England, which we all know is not the easiest place,” reasoned Gambhir.
The other vacant spot meriting debate involves the uncapped left-arm spin duo of Manav Suthar and Harsh Dubey.
In Afghanistan’s case, some of its leading white-ball stars, including ace leggie Rashid Khan, are missing. But for Hashmatullah Shahidi’s men, who have played just 12 Tests in eight years, the chance to engage in India’s Test season should be enough to spur the competitive juices.
The teams (from): India: Shubman Gill (Capt.), K.L. Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, and Dhruv Jurel (wk).
Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (Capt.), Abdul Malik, Afsar Zazai (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Rahmanullah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Nangeyalia Kharote, Rahmat Shah, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Bilal Sami, Mohammad Saleem, Qais Ahmad, and Ziaur Rahman.
Match starts at 9.30 a.m.
Published – June 05, 2026 07:47 pm IST
