Kuldeep Yadav's double strike on final day seals record-breaking victory as debutant Manav Suthar shines with seven wickets

India registered their biggest-ever Test win on Saturday, thrashing Afghanistan by an innings and 300 runs inside three days at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium. Kuldeep Yadav triggered the final collapse with two wickets in two balls as the visitors folded for 112 in their second innings.

The victory margin surpasses India's previous best—an innings and 262 runs against Afghanistan themselves in 2019. For Afghanistan, this was only their fourth Test match since gaining Full Member status, and the gulf in experience showed.

Spinners run through fragile line-up

Asked to follow on after conceding a 412-run first-innings lead, Afghanistan never looked like saving the contest. Fourteen wickets tumbled on Day 3 alone, with the pitch offering increasing turn and variable bounce.

Washington Sundar finished with four second-innings wickets while Kuldeep picked up three. Debutant Manav Suthar and Mohammed Siraj chipped in with one each. The Afghan batters, barring Sediqullah Atal's 42 and Rahmanullah Gurbaz's 24, offered little resistance. Seven batters failed to reach double figures.

The Indian attack needed just 35.5 overs to wrap things up in the second dig.

Suthar's dream debut

The Rajasthan left-arm spinner, called up after impressive domestic performances, ended with match figures of 7 for 62. After taking three wickets on Day 2, Suthar added four more on Saturday morning to clean up the first innings at 152.

"He bowled stump to stump and was really disciplined," Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi admitted after the game. "The scoreboard pressure was there, and the pitch behaviour kept changing session by session."

Suthar's parents had travelled from Sri Ganganagar to watch him but returned home before his heroics—apparently due to superstition, according to team sources.

Batting foundation laid early

India's victory was set up by their first-innings total of 564 for 8 declared. Shubman Gill and KL Rahul struck centuries while Rishabh Pant and Sai Sudharsan contributed 81 runs each. Washington Sundar's 52 provided late impetus after India won the toss and opted to bat first on a dry surface.

The plan was to post 350-plus no matter where you're batting," Gill said after the match. "For the spinners, it was about gaining experience—how to set up batters in home conditions."

 India surpass West Indies' win tally

The victory marked India's 186th Test win in 599 matches, moving them ahead of the West Indies' tally of 185. Only Australia (426), England (405) and South Africa (191) have won more Tests. The result also provided some relief for the home side after losing 0-2 to South Africa last year, though that series was away from home against stronger opposition.

Afghanistan's Mohammad Saleem, who picked up a six-wicket haul in India's first innings, emerged as a rare positive for the visitors alongside Rahmat Shah's fighting 60.

The focus now shifts to the ODI series starting June 13.