The one-off Test between Afghanistan and India holds greater significance for Afghan wicketkeeper batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz as it represents much more than a typical international game for him. At age 24, he described this experience as a realization of a dream that had been with him for a long time. As Afghanistan faces off against India in New Chandigarh, on 6th June, Gurbaz was not shy in expressing his joy at having an opportunity to compete in Test cricket in India.
Gurbaz was excited about playing in India as he said, “I feel amazing. I remember the first Test which I was not part of and I was watching on the TV. Yeah, it just was a dream to play against India in India in Test cricket. Finally, I’m here. Very excited for this game.”
Afghanistan entered the 2026 one-off Test after more than six weeks of red-ball preparation. The team trained extensively at home before arriving in India early for additional sessions in Chandigarh. Gurbaz said the squad feels ready for the challenge and believes the preparation has helped the players build confidence ahead of their only Test assignment of the year.
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Afghanistan’s Test Journey Continues with India Challenge
Gurbaz Backs Richard Pybus Ahead of New Era
Gurbaz was all-praise for the newly appointed coach of Afghanistan, as he said, “He’s such a nice man. He’s an encouraged guy and I think he’s a very well supporter for all of us. And yeah, his knowledge is more than our age. I think we are lucky to have a coach like him and hopefully we learn so much things from him.”
Gurbaz had some special words to say about the recently appointed head coach Richard Pybus. This India Test is Pybus’ debut appearance with Afghanistan, and it was during the interview that Gurbaz spoke highly about the coach’s experience and support. He said that Pybus has instantly gained the respect of all the team members and that he is indeed an inspiring coach. Furthermore, he talked about the immense cricketing experience that the coach possesses, mentioning that all the players are lucky to learn from him.
India vs Afghanistan 2026: Schedule and Head-to-Head Record
The one-off Test between India and Afghanistan began on June 6 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, and will continue until June 10. India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bat first. The match is only the second Test meeting between the two nations. Their first encounter came in 2018 in Bengaluru when Afghanistan played its maiden Test. India dominated that match and secured victory by an innings and 262 runs, giving them a perfect record against Afghanistan in Test cricket.
Afghanistan’s Test Record and The Learning Curve
Afghanistan continues to be one of the relatively new teams to take part in Test cricket. Having made their first appearance at the event on June 14, 2018, the team has participated in 12 Test matches so far, with four victories, seven defeats, and one draw being the outcome. Gurbaz agreed that his team was still growing and gaining experience in Test cricket. Nevertheless, he noted that the mindset with which they faced the test match was appropriate. He said that the team was ready to learn from one of the best teams in the game.
India vs. Afghanistan Playing 11 (After Toss)
India: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Afghanistan: Sediqullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Afsar Zazai (WK), Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangeyalia Kharote, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, Mohammad Saleem Safi
