India vs Afghanistan 1st Test Predictions - India geared for huge win
India goes into the Test match against Afghanistan as overwhelming favorites, boasting a potent lineup of in-form players like Shubman Gill and Kuldeep Yadav. Afghanistan, while possessing talents like Rahmat Shah and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, remain inexperienced at the Test level and will miss their star player Rashid Khan. The consensus is that India’s superior depth and recent form will see them comfortably secure victory, with top-order runs and an effective bowling attack expected to make the key difference.
- A strong India squad should overpower an inexperienced Afghanistan side.
- Afghanistan have some talented players but lack match-winning performers.
- Match outcome likely influenced by squad rotations and team injuries.
Shubman Gill has been in the runs in the IPL (Getty Images).
India vs Afghanistan Predictions
India are one of the most talented sides in world-cricket, with a devastating top order and a brutal bowling attack. Afghanistan have won four of their 11 Test matches, but those wins have come against low-ranked sides Ireland, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe (twice).
- India’s Sai Sudharsan was 3rd in the IPL runs list (722 runs, ave 45.12).
- India’s Shubman Gill has scored 85, 64 & 104 in his last five innings.
- India’s Kuldeep Yadav has taken 2/32, 2/46 & 3/29 in his last 7 innings.
- Afghanistan’s Rahmat Shah has scored 56, 49, 133 & 50 in his last 4 innings.
- Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz has scored 84, 30, 88 & 41 in 5 knocks.
- Afghanistan’s Qais Ahmad has figures of 2/30 & 3/30 in his last 3 matches.
Head-to-Head
India won their only previous Test against Afghanistan, which was Afghanistan’s first-ever Test match. India pulled off a huge win by an innings and 262 runs.
India Form
India lost their last two Tests back in November at home to South Africa, but their players have all found good form in white-ball cricket and shouldn’t have a problem seeing off Afghanistan.
Sai Sudharsan has played just six Tests but has scored 53*, 84 and 58 in his last five innings. Skipper Shubman Gill was second in the IPL runs list with 732 runs at 45.75. Rishabh Pant was in decent form in the IPL, but he’s the sort of player who could tear the Afghanistan attack apart if he gets set.
Kuldeep Yadav has been in good form in the IPL and has a Test average of 22.42 after taking 76 wickets in 17 Tests. Mohammed Siraj has 139 Test wickets in 45 Tests and picked up regular wickets in the IPL.
Afghanistan Form
Afghanistan have struggled to be competitive in Tests, losing their last Test to Zimbabwe in October by an innings and 73 runs.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been scoring runs consistently in domestic cricket but has just two Test caps under his belt with a high score of 46. Rahmat Shah is also in good form coming into the Test and averages 46.19 over 11 Tests, scoring 970 runs.
Ziaur Rahman took 7/97 on his Test debut in the first innings against Zimbabwe in October 2025 with sensational figures of 32-4-97-7, but didn’t have the opportunity to add to his figures as Afghanistan went down by an innings.
Team news
India has selected a strong squad despite the match not counting for World Test Championship points. Most of their selected players have been in good form domestically and in the IPL, so they should present a major challenge for the visitors. Afghanistan’s best player, Rashid Khan, has not made himself available for the Test. Khan was in good form in the recent IPL so his absence will weaken an already struggling Afghanistan side.
India squad: Shubman Gill (c), KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harsh Dubey, Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Mohd Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
Afghanistan squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmanullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafudin Ashraf, Nangyal Kharotai, Qais Ahmad, Bilal Sami, Zia Sharifi, Saleem Safi.
Verdict
India are overwhelming favourites to take the win, and I’m backing Shubman Gill, Kuldeep Yadav and Rahmat Shah to star with bat and ball.
India Win
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