Cricket lovers witnessed a masterclass in modern Test batting India declared absolute control over it Afghanistan Day 1 of a high-profile, one-off Test match. The clash at the picturesque Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh began with the Indian captain. Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bat. When stumps were drawn on 06 June 2026, the decision proved to be a masterstroke, exhausting the Afghan bowling attack and searching for answers against a formidable Indian batting line-up.
Shubman Gill dazzles with a classy century against Afghanistan on Day 1
The day certainly belonged to the captain himself. Going inside in the fall Sai Sudharsan‘s wicket, Gill put on a magnificent exhibition of elegant batting and iron composure. Gill paced his innings nicely, bringing up his half-century in just 68 deliveries before shifting gears with effortless grace.
The magic moment came on the 83rd over of the bowling day Muhammad Salim. Gill, sitting on 99, single-handedly flicked the leg-side square leg. The milestone marked his 11th Test century, a sensational 138-ball knock punctuated by 11 crisp fours and a powerful six.
Taking off his helmet to soak in the cheers from the New Chandigarh crowd, Gill was greeted with a warm hug from his partner. Rishabh pants. Gill was faultless in the late innings, finishing Day 1 unbeaten on 103 runs from 143 balls and demonstrating why he is the vanguard of India’s new generation of Test greats.
A dominant batting performance from India ends Day 1 of the Mullanpur Test on a high
While Gill stole the headlines, India’s collective batting display was a synchronized effort that kept the run rate at an aggressive 4.32 runs. It started with a small stutter at daybreak Yashasvi Jaiswal He fell cheaply to 24, he was left behind Officer Zazai From Saleem’s bowling. However, it was one of the few holidays that the Afghan contingent enjoyed.
KL Rahul Red anchored the top order with a technically flawless century. Rahul played an ideal role for his partners, scoring 100 runs from 165 deliveries, 11 fours, eventually mistimed the innings. Rahmanullah Gurbaz off Ziaur Rahman. Youngster Sudharsan, on the other hand, fired a quick 81-ball 104, including 13 elegant fours, before becoming Saleem’s second victim of the day, bringing pure momentum into the afternoon session.
Afghanistan’s bowlers struggled to maintain discipline on a surface that offered minimal help. Saleem picked the attack for the visitors, finishing the day with 2 for 67 in the 13th over and Rahman with 1 for 61. Nangeyalia KharoteBowling 20 grueling overs for 95 runs and the captain Hashemtullah Shahidihe even rolled his arm over 17 times to stop the flow of runs.
When the umpires called for Stumps on Day 1, India sat comfortably at 368/3 after 85 overs. Impeccably filling the gaps after Rahul’s departure, Rishabh pants brought up his aggressive half-century (50* off 70 balls, hitting 2 fours and 3 sixes) just before the close of play. With Gill and Pant’s active 121-run partnership, India successfully set up a launching pad to completely bowl Afghanistan out on Day 2.
Also READ: Fans celebrate KL Rahul’s furious century against Afghanistan on Day 1 of one-off Test
Here’s how the fans reacted:
Day 1, Roots 📍
A perfect first day for India. The batsmen made the most of the excellent batting conditions 🙌🏏#INDvAFG #TeamIndia #ShubmanGill pic.twitter.com/E8Y2BgRHgL
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) June 6, 2026
CAPTION NO. 11 FOR SHUBMAN GILL 👑
◾ Shubman Gill brings up his 11th Test hundred – Reaches the milestone in just 138 balls 🔥#INDvAFG
◾ Celebrating a century on his own field – Pant first congratulated his captain ❤️
◾ 20 international hundreds under 27 🤯 pic.twitter.com/XiHFELQL3m— Yogesh Goswami (@yogeshgoswami_) June 6, 2026
SHUBMAN GILL HAS MOST HUNDREDS FOR INDIA IN WTC HISTORY.
– Parties and shelter from his father. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/NHvDZhxiId
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 6, 2026
በተድሚያ የብርት in Test Cricket
As Captain – 6 centuries (15 innings)*
As a player – 5 centuries (59 innings) pic.twitter.com/ahR6RbKflJ— 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔 (@Shebas_10dulkar) June 6, 2026
🚨 6 HUNDREDS FOR SHUBMAN GILL IN 9 TESTS AS CAPTAIN 🚨
– Captain Shubman Gill reigns in Test cricket ..!!! 🔥🫡pic.twitter.com/rb2ZzCIkSJ
— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) June 6, 2026
Century for Captain Shubman Gill
After Virat Kohli, only he has the potential to rule Test cricket for the next decade. pic.twitter.com/5SMvHhYnQb
— Fearless (@Hell373969) June 6, 2026
CAPTIVE FOR PRINCE SHUBMAN GIL 🔥
20 INTERNATIONAL FACES AT THE AGE OF 26 🥶
– The brother became a beast in Test cricket after becoming captain 🗿
– LOOK AT THE STOP APPLAUSE 🥶 pic.twitter.com/sDreno47gJ
– Jeet (@JeetN25) June 6, 2026
Captain Shubman Gill leads the way! 🇮🇳💪
He continues his incredible streak from IPL to Test cricket. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/LSQguFHAWG
— Sabir Zafar (@Sabir_Saabu01) June 6, 2026
Shubman Gill scored his 20th international goal at just 26 years old 🤯
Brother will cook big in the coming years 🔥 pic.twitter.com/2iDz5F2UI6
— Princey (@HarshitFlickss) June 6, 2026
Check out the smile on Shubman Gill’s dad’s face after a real proud dad moment. pic.twitter.com/UGDaJOK0lu
— MARCUS (@MARCUS907935) June 6, 2026
Skipper. Centurion. Local boy. 🌟
Very special tone frames from Shubman Gill 📸 pic.twitter.com/rHcRhxKJrE
— Jay Sri Ram 🏹 (@JayhoSanathan) June 6, 2026
