Richard Pybus faced a difficult debut as Afghanistan head coach. India’s batters built a large total on a favorable pitch while the visitors struggled with several fielding mistakes. Opener K.L. Rahul survived an early caught-behind chance after the Afghanistan captain declined to review. A leg injury also sidelined key spinner Sharafuddin Ashraf in the second session. Pybus said the team must avoid making excuses after missing opportunities. He noted the loss of a main bowler added pressure and stressed the need to be sharper in taking chances during the match.
