NEW DELHI: India tightened their grip on the one-off Test against Afghanistan on Monday, but the biggest talking point during the morning session came from another Decision Review System (DRS) error by the visitors and the animated scenes that followed near their dugout.Resuming day three at 113 for five, Afghanistan slumped to 152, conceding a massive first-innings lead of 412 runs, as left-arm spinner Manav Suthar completed a dream outing with figures of 6 for 33 in 22 overs. India, who declared their first innings at 564 for eight, wasted little time in forcing the follow-on.
Confusion and heated exchanges near the dugout
The drama unfolded in the 58th minute when Southar trapped No. 10 batsman Mohamed Salim Safi in front.
On-field referee Richard Illingworth immediately raised his finger, and Safi initially appeared keen to challenge the decision.However, in a strange turn of events, the left-hander started returning to the pavilion without receiving a review. Moments later, confusion gave way to palpable frustration near the Afghan border line as Safi was seen chatting with teammates and support staff near the dugout.
Television cameras captured discussions suggesting questions were being raised as to why the batsman did not select DRS even though he appeared interested in doing so.The return increased Afghanistan’s suffering.Tracking the ball later revealed that the delivery had been made outside leg stump, meaning the on-field decision would have been overturned had Safi reviewed it. While the collision was in front of the stumps, the point of the throw made the dismissal invalid, giving Southar a slice of luck and Afghanistan another painful lesson for DRS.
Manav Suthar’s dream debut continues
The dismissal gave Southair his sixth wicket and capped off a memorable debut performance for the 23-year-old. The left-arm spinner tore through the lower order as Afghanistan added just 39 runs to their score overnight.With the visitors dismissing 152, India enforced the follow-on and maintained complete control of the contest.
