A rout it was in the end. But few would have contemplated a two-day finish. The proceedings on Friday seemed surreal in nature.
The end for Afghanistan in the Test was swift. The batsmen simply did not possess defence. Without this attribute you are bound to be exposed in Tests.
Questions will be asked. Is Afghanistan ready for Test cricket? Did it not need to play more First Class cricket before being elevated to the elite five-day format?
It was not wrong to admit Afghanistan to Tests — natural talent and the passion for the game abounds there — but the country’s preparation for its momentous match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium was grossly inadequate.
The cricketers needed to be tuned in mentally to the demands of the longer format, spend time at the crease, sustain their intensity and control over longer spells.
Such a contest would have also eased their nerves. Afghanistan’s wayward bowling in the first session on day one was a lot about pressures of the occasion.
It’s incomprehensible why a three-match T20 series against Bangladesh was scheduled in the days leading to the Test here. It just did not make sense.
The BCCI could have organised a First Class match for the Afghans before the historic Test.
If Afghanistan is serious about making an impact in Tests, it has got to give priority to its First Class structure.
Perhaps, the BCCI could invite Afghanistan to take part in the Ranji and Duleep Trophy competitions for a couple of seasons just to allow its cricketers to find their feet in the longer format.
As it is, India is the base for the Afghanistan side; it trains and practises here. Participating in the Indian domestic cricket will surely lift Afghan cricket.
Too much should not be read into India’s monstrous win here. Bigger challenges loom. The hundreds from Shikhar Dhawan and M. Vijay were welcome; there were phases when the Afghanistan attack demanded answers. K.L. Rahul looked fluent at No. 3 and the team-management might toy with the idea of playing all three in the eleven in England.
Such a move will hinge on Cheteshwar Pujara’s form in England. Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma bowled with verve here even if they were helped by the batsmen.
The bustling Hardik Pandya adds weight to the Indian lower middle-order but he still is not ready to be the specialist third paceman. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and either Umesh or Ishant should be the three frontline pacemen backed by Pandya.
Although it would only play in the second half of the English summer, India, unless it comes across a brown, dry pitch, might field just one specialist spinner. R. Ashwin is the first-choice spinner but could be challenged by left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav.
Things can get interesting on the selection front.
