Debutant suthar

Mohammad Saleem Safi: Debutant left-arm spinner Manav Suthar marked his arrival in Test cricket with a six-wicket haul as India bundled out Afghanistan for 152 in their first innings and enforced the follow-on before lunch on Day 3 of the one-off Test at the PCA Stadium on Monday.

Resuming at 113/5 and still trailing India’s imposing first-innings total of 564/8 (declared) by 451 runs, Afghanistan needed a substantial partnership from overnight batter Rahmat Shah to avoid a complete collapse. But Suthar’s ability to extract turn from the surface ensured India tightened their grip on the contest.

The morning began positively for India when Prasidh Krishna struck in the fifth over of the day. Azmatullah Omarzai, who had faced 10 deliveries without scoring, was bowled attempting a drive, leaving Afghanistan at 118/6 and exposing the lower order.