Wait. What? Who? It is India vs? Whoa! Afghanistan!!! That is right friends! India will be hosting Afghanistan for its first ever Test match. They have (consistently) done well enough to earn itself this status. What a moment it is for all the cricket fans around the world, especially the ones back home in Afghanistan, to see their players, representing their country in the greatest, if not the grandest format of, what I believe is the greatest sport in this world.

Afghanistan will be playing its first ever test match in Bengaluru at the Chinnaswamy stadium. I am sure everyone in that squad will be pumped to go out and do their best. They are coming on the back of an incredible series whitewash against Bangladesh, in their adopted home, Dehradun. They have quite a few match winners in their lineup. They boast of some exciting talent and it will be a big opportunity for them to get a taste of test match cricket at the highest level against the number one ranked team in the format, at their home!

There is no doubt that India will start this one-off battle as the favorites and that they should win it comprehensively. However, having said that, one must not take any opposition lightly.

Afghanistan’s bowling is good enough to trouble Indian batsmen. I won’t be surprised if the track at the Chinnaswamy does not support the spinners. Because, if it does, then, well, let’s just say we will have a good game at our hands. I am not discrediting the Indian batsmen, but Rashid, Mujeeb, and Nabi are a force to reckon with. Rashid and Mujeeb in particular, simply because of the fact that they have so many variations up their sleeve. Also, they have become street-smart cricketers with the IPL experience which they have had over the last couple of years. They have developed an ability to read the game pretty well.

As for India, they will be missing the services of Virat for this game. Ajinkya will lead them in this test match. Dinesh Karthik will be seen in the whites after quite a while. His would be a comeback of sorts. Other than that, I don’t see any change with the playing eleven. Lokesh Rahul too is someone I am hoping would be amongst those who take the field.

It would be an enthralling and an action-packed day of cricket. I would love to see this game last the full five days. It is called Test match cricket for a reason and it would be great to see how the Afghans fare in this format. They have been the best amongst the associate teams in the recent years and this elevation is richly deserved.

Ultimately, it is this game that has benefited the most. It is up to those higher up the ranks to promote and market this great game of ours. This would bring in the audience from the ‘deprived’ sections of the world, who for far long have been cut off from experiencing the richness of this sport. It would help cultivate heroes for the young kids to look up to. People would turn to this sport to derive some inspiration out of it. Lastly, it can be a source of great joy and happiness for the fans, who so strongly root for their team, to come together, and celebrate this wonderful game.

Here’s wishing you all the very best in your first game, Afghanistan!