India vs Afghanistan Test History tells a story of friendship and cricketing growth.
India and Afghanistan are currently playing a Test match in Mullanpur. This is only the second Test match between the two teams. However, there is much more behind this match than just the scorecard.
The first Test match between India and Afghanistan was played in Bengaluru in 2018. India won that match by an innings and 262 runs, but the result was not the biggest talking point. The bigger moment was Afghanistan playing its first-ever Test match after becoming a Test nation in 2017.
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Now, 8 years later, the two teams are meeting again in Mullanpur. Afghanistan still have a lot to learn in Test cricket, but they are no longer a new team. The side has already beaten Ireland, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in Test matches and has gained valuable experience over the years.
The ongoing Test is also a good time to look at the India vs Afghanistan Test History. It is a story of Afghanistan’s rise in international cricket, India’s support during important years and the strong cricket connection between the two countries.
Brief overview of India vs Afghanistan Test history
India and Afghanistan have played very little Test cricket against each other. Before the ongoing match in Mullanpur, the two teams had met only once in the longest format. That match was played in Bengaluru in June 2018, where India won by an innings and 262 runs.
India vs Afghanistan head-to-head record in Test cricket
- Matches Played: 2* (Mullanpur Test in progress)
- India Won: 1
- Afghanistan Won: 0
- Draws: 0
The numbers may look small, but there is a simple reason for that. Afghanistan became a Test nation in 2017 and played its first Test against India in 2018. The ongoing match in Mullanpur is only the second Test between the two teams.
The incredible rise of Afghanistan in Test cricket
Today, many cricket fans know Afghanistan as a team that can trouble even the biggest sides in white-ball cricket. However, the country’s rise to Test cricket is equally impressive. Afghanistan joined the ICC as an Affiliate Member in 2001 and became a Full Member in 2017.
That means Afghanistan went from Affiliate cricket to Test cricket in just 16 years. Very few teams have moved through the ranks so quickly. For a country that was still developing its cricket structure, becoming a Test nation in such a short time was a huge achievement.
Many Afghan cricketers first learned the game while living in refugee camps in Pakistan. Over time, cricket became more popular among Afghan communities and later spread across the country.
Afghanistan continued to improve year after year. The team became an Associate Member in 2013 and started qualifying for major ICC tournaments. Strong performances against bigger teams showed that Afghanistan were ready for the next step.
By the time Full Member status arrived in 2017, Afghanistan had already earned respect in world cricket. The team had shown that it could compete at a high level and deserved a place among the game’s Test nations.
Even today, Afghanistan’s rise remains one of the biggest success stories in modern cricket. The team did not have the same facilities or opportunities as many older Test nations, but it still found a way to reach the highest level of the game.
BCCI support to growth of Afghanistan’s cricket
Getting Test status was a huge achievement for Afghanistan, but it also created a new challenge. The team had earned the right to play Test cricket, but hosting regular international matches at home was still difficult because of the security situation in the country.
At that stage, Afghanistan needed a place where it could continue playing international cricket and keep developing as a Test nation. This is where India played an important role. In 2015, the BCCI allowed Afghanistan to use Indian venues as home grounds for international matches.
Greater Noida became Afghanistan’s adopted home venue. Later, the team also played matches in Dehradun and Lucknow. These venues gave Afghan players a stable place to train, prepare and play international cricket.
Many people talk about Afghanistan’s talent, and rightly so. However, talent alone is not enough in international cricket. Teams also need facilities, opportunities and regular matches. India’s support helped Afghanistan continue moving forward at an important stage of its growth.
In 2018 at Bengaluru, Afghanistan played their first-ever Test match
The first-ever Test between India and Afghanistan was played in Bengaluru in June 2018. It was Afghanistan’s first-ever Test match and one of the biggest moments in the country’s cricket history.
India were the favourites and showed their experience throughout the match. Shikhar Dhawan scored 107 from just 96 balls, while Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara also scored centuries. India posted 474 runs in the first innings.
Afghanistan found the challenge tough against a strong Indian side. The team was bowled out for 109 in the first innings and 103 in the second innings. India won the match by an innings and 262 runs inside two days.
The result was one-sided, but most fans remember the occasion more than the scoreline. Afghanistan had finally reached Test cricket after years of hard work. For many Afghan supporters, simply watching their team play a Test match was a proud moment.
One moment from that match is still remembered today. After the game ended, India captain Ajinkya Rahane invited Afghanistan’s players to join the Indian team for the winners’ photograph. It was a simple gesture, but it showed the respect India had for Afghanistan’s achievement.
Many fans still remember that photograph. It showed that the match was about more than just winning and losing and remains one of the most memorable moments in the relationship between the two teams.
IPL played a big role to rise in Afghanistan cricket
India’s support helped Afghanistan as a cricket nation, but the IPL helped Afghan players become popular around the world. The tournament gave them a chance to play alongside some of the best cricketers in the game and gain valuable experience.
Mohammad Nabi was one of the first Afghan players to make an impact in the IPL. Then came Rashid Khan, who quickly became one of the biggest stars in the tournament. His success showed that Afghanistan could produce players who could perform at the highest level.
Rashid has played more than 130 IPL matches and taken over 160 wickets in the tournament. He is also among the most successful overseas bowlers in IPL history. His performances helped change the way many people looked at Afghanistan cricket.
Rashid’s success also opened doors for other Afghan players. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad and Fazalhaq Farooqi all got opportunities in franchise cricket. Playing against top players from around the world helped them improve their game and gain experience.
The IPL helped more than just a few players. Young cricketers in Afghanistan now grow up watching players from their own country succeed in one of the biggest cricket tournaments in the world. That is one of the reasons Afghanistan continue to produce talented players every year.
Indian fans support the Afghanistan cricket team
One of the most interesting parts of this story is the support Afghanistan receive from Indian fans. In international cricket, supporters usually back only their own team. Afghanistan are one of the few exceptions.
A big reason for that support is the way Afghanistan reached the highest level of cricket. Many Indian fans have followed the team’s rise over the years and respect what it has achieved despite facing many challenges.
The IPL has also played a role in building this connection. Players like Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Noor Ahmad have become familiar names among Indian cricket fans. Their performances in the tournament helped create a strong bond with supporters.
That is why Afghanistan often receive applause from Indian crowds, even when they are not playing India. Such support is not very common in international cricket and shows the respect that many Indian fans have for Afghanistan and its players.
The deep diplomatic and cricket connection between both nations
The cricket connection between India and Afghanistan did not start overnight. In many ways, it followed a relationship that already existed between the two countries.
After 2001, India became one of Afghanistan’s biggest development partners. Over the years, India supported several projects in the country, including roads, schools, hospitals and other public infrastructure. While these projects were not related to cricket, they helped strengthen ties between the people of both nations.
Cricket later became another part of that relationship. Many Afghan fans grew up watching Indian cricket and supporting Indian players. Stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag and MS Dhoni were already popular in Afghanistan long before the national team became successful.
At the same time, Indian fans started following Afghanistan’s progress in international cricket. The success of Afghan players in the IPL also helped bring cricket fans from both countries closer together.
That is one reason why matches between India and Afghanistan feel different from many other international contests. Both teams want to win, but there has always been respect between them on and off the field.
Afghanistan Test record and key stats since 2018
The Afghanistan team that played its first Test in Bengaluru in 2018 was still learning the format. Almost every match was a new experience, and the players were trying to understand the demands of five-day cricket.
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Since then, Afghanistan have played Test cricket against India, Ireland, Bangladesh, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The results have been mixed, but the team has shown that it can compete and win at this level.
Afghanistan’s first Test victory came against Ireland in Dehradun in 2019. The team won that match by seven wickets and registered its first-ever win in the format. Later in the same year, Afghanistan defeated Bangladesh by 224 runs in Chattogram, which remains one of the biggest victories in the country’s Test history.
Afghanistan have also enjoyed success against Zimbabwe. The two teams played a two-match series in 2021, which ended 1-1. Afghanistan later won a Test series in Zimbabwe during the 2024-25 season and continued to gain experience in the format.
The batting unit has improved over the years. Players like Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi and Ibrahim Zadran have become important players for the team and helped Afghanistan become more competitive in Test cricket.
Bowling remains Afghanistan’s biggest strength. Rashid Khan has played a major role in several victories, while Afghanistan continue to produce quality spin bowlers. That strength gives the team a chance to challenge stronger opponents despite having much less Test experience than most nations.
Afghanistan’s performance in Test cricket
- Matches Played: 12
- Wins: 4
- Losses: 7
- Draws: 1
- Win Percentage: 33.33%
Key records of Afghanistan in Test cricket
- Highest Team Total: 699 vs Zimbabwe (Bulawayo, 2024)
- Lowest Team Total: 103 vs India (Bengaluru, 2018)
- Most Runs: Rahmat Shah – 970 runs
- Highest Individual Score: Hashmatullah Shahidi: 246 vs Zimbabwe (2024)
- Most Wickets: Rashid Khan – 45 wickets
- Best Bowling Figures: Rashid Khan: 7/137 vs Zimbabwe (2021)
Mullanpur shows how much Afghanistan have improved
The India vs Afghanistan Test in 2026 at Mullanpur shows how much Afghanistan cricket has changed since the two teams first met in Bengaluru in 2018. The team is still not at India’s level, but it is much stronger and more experienced than it was eight years ago.
Back then, Afghanistan were playing their first Test match and simply reaching that stage was a big achievement. Today, the team arrives with more experience and a better understanding of the format. The players now expect more from themselves whenever they play Test cricket.
India remain one of the strongest teams in the format. The country has a strong domestic system and a large pool of players to choose from. Afghanistan are still building those things, which is one reason why there is still a gap between the two sides.
Even so, the difference is not as big as it was in 2018. Afghanistan now have Test victories, experienced players and more knowledge of what it takes to compete in five-day cricket.
That is what makes the Mullanpur Test important. The result will matter, but it will not tell the whole story. The bigger point is that Afghanistan have returned to India as a much stronger team than the one that played its first Test in Bengaluru.
Afghanistan need to become a stronger Test team
Afghanistan’s biggest challenge today is not talent. The country continues to produce talented cricketers, and that has been clear for many years. The bigger challenge is giving those players enough opportunities in red-ball cricket.
At the moment, Afghanistan do not play as much Test cricket as the bigger nations. That makes improvement difficult because players need regular matches to understand the demands of the format. Batters need time in the middle, while bowlers need experience of bowling long spells across several days.
More first-class cricket will also help. Every successful Test nation has a strong domestic structure where players develop their skills before reaching international cricket. Afghanistan are still working on that area and will need more red-ball matches in the future.
Regular series against teams like India, Australia, England and South Africa can also help the team improve. Playing stronger opponents gives young players valuable experience and helps them understand the standards required at the highest level.
The positive sign for Afghanistan is that the team has already shown it can win Test matches. The next step is becoming more consistent and getting more opportunities to play the longest format on a regular basis.
The Story Continues
The India vs Afghanistan Test History may be short, but it is already different from most cricket rivalries. It is not only about results and scorecards. It is also about how Afghanistan reached Test cricket and how India helped the team during some important years.
India gave Afghanistan a place to play international cricket when hosting matches at home was difficult. Grounds in Greater Noida, Dehradun and Lucknow became important venues for Afghanistan and helped the team continue its development as a Test nation.
From Bengaluru in 2018 to Mullanpur in 2026, the results have mostly favoured India. However, the relationship between the two teams has never been only about winning and losing. The bigger achievement for Afghanistan was reaching Test cricket and continuing to improve year after year.
The Afghanistan team playing in Mullanpur today is very different from the side that played its first Test in Bengaluru. Back then, the team was taking its first steps in the format. Today, Afghanistan have Test victories against Ireland, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe and a group of players with much more experience.
There is still plenty of work to do. Afghanistan need more first-class cricket, more Test matches and more opportunities against stronger teams. The talent is already there, but regular cricket in the longest format will be important for the team’s future.
That is why the Mullanpur Test feels important. It is not just another match between India and Afghanistan. It is also a chance to see how much Afghanistan cricket has improved since becoming a Test nation in 2017.
As Afghanistan continue to play more Test cricket, the India vs Afghanistan Test History will continue to grow. More matches, new records and new memories will be added in the years ahead, and this rivalry will continue to be an important part of Afghanistan’s Test cricket journey.
Note: All data, statistics and records mentioned in this article are updated as of 06 June 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. When did India and Afghanistan play their first Test match?
India and Afghanistan played their first-ever Test match in June 2018 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. It was also Afghanistan’s first Test match in international cricket.
2. How many Test matches have India and Afghanistan played against each other?
As of June 2026, India and Afghanistan have played two Test matches against each other, including the ongoing one-off Test in Mullanpur.
3. What was the result of the first India vs Afghanistan Test?
India won the Bengaluru Test in 2018 by an innings and 262 runs. Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara scored centuries in the match.
4. Which team did Afghanistan beat for their first Test win?
Afghanistan registered their first Test victory against Ireland in Dehradun in March 2019. They won the match by seven wickets.
5. What is Afghanistan’s highest team total in Test cricket?
Afghanistan’s highest Test total is 699 runs, which they scored against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in December 2024.
6. When did Afghanistan become a Test-playing nation?
Afghanistan received ICC Full Member status in June 2017 alongside Ireland, which gave them the right to play Test cricket.
7. Who has scored the highest individual score for Afghanistan in Test cricket?
Hashmatullah Shahidi holds the record for the highest individual Test score for Afghanistan. He scored 246 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in 2024.
8. How did India help Afghanistan cricket?
India allowed Afghanistan to use venues in Greater Noida, Dehradun and Lucknow as home grounds when hosting international matches in Afghanistan was not possible.
9. Who has taken the most wickets for Afghanistan in Test cricket?
Rashid Khan is Afghanistan’s leading wicket-taker in Test cricket with 45 wickets.
10. Where is the 2026 India vs Afghanistan Test being played?
The one-off Test match in 2026 is being played at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh.
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