New Chandigarh: The Punjab Cricket Association’s (PCA) stadium at Mullanpur is set to script history as it prepares to host its first-ever Test match from June 6 to 10, with India taking on Afghanistan in their first red-ball clash in eight years.The match marks a key milestone for cricket in Punjab, making Mullanpur the third venue in the state after Mohali and Jalandhar to host a Test, and the 31st venue in the country.Ahead of the fixture, the Indian team, led by Punjab’s Shubman Gill, trained intensively at the venue Thursday. Despite the afternoon heat, players spent long hours in the nets as preparations gathered pace, with most of the squad batting and bowlers putting in extended spells while adapting to the red-ball format.Afghanistan face a tough outing, especially in the absence of key players like Rashid Khan. Their last Test appearance against India came in 2018, making this only the second meeting between the two sides in the longer format.PCA secretary and Sangrur MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer termed the occasion a proud moment and said preparations were complete. He urged families to attend, highlighting that tickets for all five days have been priced at Rs 250 to ensure wider access.The Indian squad features two Punjab players—captain Shubman Gill and pacer Gurnoor Brar—with several members retained from the previous Test assignment against South Africa, including KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel.With a historic debut Test, local representation and affordable tickets, excitement is building across the Tricity as Mullanpur takes its place on India’s Test cricket map.
