Consistently bowling around the 90 kph mark, Suthar plucked out Sharafuddin Ashraf in Afghanistan’s first innings, spinning one past him. Then, he accounted for Rahmat Shah’s crucial wicket – the middle-order batter had brought up a stoic fifty off 100 balls, resisting India through the first hour and a half. Suthar bowled him around the legs, an expansive sweep was his undoing.

Rahmat was the eighth wicket to fall and it sealed Suthar’s five-for. A while later, he pinned Mohammad Saleem on the pads for his sixth. This last dismissal was the latest in a line of bad reviews (or lack thereof) from either side throughout the day. Suthar had pitched the delivery outside leg. For some reason, Saleem did not review and he was animated at the dugout as he walked back.

The tall Prasidh Krishna had begun the day from the other end, along with Suthar. Prasidh stuck to back-of-a-length deliveries, utilising the angles off the pitch to create jeopardy for the batters. He also struck the first blow for India, when he got the ball to jag back in, catch the inside edge onto the stumps, and send back Azmatullah Omarzai.

Mohammed Siraj came on for a spell of three overs, for five runs, the highlight of which was when he comically reviewed a clear inside-edge into the pads for an lbw. Soon, Washington Sundar came on from his end, and Kuldeep from the other, bowling in tandem. Kuldeep hesitated to put revs on the ball and for a period, both bowlers looked innocuous in comparison to Suthar.

However, Ashraf visibly struggled to bat with a groin injury. Kuldeep began lobbing up balls that Ashraf needed to step out to deadbat. Suthar returned to take advantage of his limited reach, and had him edging behind.

Washington also picked up the final wicket of Afghanistan’s first innings, when he had Ziaur Rahman going for a huge swipe across the line. Pant ran in to complete a catch. This would be his sole wicket in the first innings, but Suthar’s prodigious spin – and six-for – ensured that Sundar, the wily offspinner, would get his own turn in the spotlight next.

After lunch, Atal continued walking down the pitch, once in a while, to negate Suthar’s more threatening options. But India’s other two spinners, Washington and Kuldeep – who just could not get it to spin as much on a flat track – showed their versatility instead.

Washington was the star spinner in the second innings, using his drift through the air instead of big turn off the pitch. He picked up 4 for 36, bowling with smarts against an Afghanistan line-up that tried to follow Atal’s lead by attacking the spinners. Kuldeep struggled to hit consistent lines, but kept lobbing the balls up and waited for the Afghanistan batters to hit him across the line.

After lunch, Atal receded into a shell. On the other hand, his partners chose rash shots to force the issue for Afghanistan. Siraj had already prised out Atal’s opening partner, Abdul Malik, after a patient 40-ball eight by getting a delivery to jag into his pads. Then, Rahmanullah Gurbaz swiped Kuldeep across the line in a rush of blood, mistiming the ball straight to long-on. The wicket came against the run of play, with him already on 24 off 23, bossing a tiring India spin attack in the blistering heat of New Chandigarh.

Next, Rahmat – Afghanistan’s best batter from their first innings – danced down the pitch to Washington and holed out at wide mid-off. Fifteen minutes before tea, captain Hashmatullah Shahidi edged a tentative prod to Shubman Gill at first slip and Washington got his second wicket of the innings. Both these wickets were a result of a consistent line, attacking batters in the outside-off channel.

Afghanistan’s resistance broke down completely on the last ball before tea. Atal, who had batted patiently thus far, leaned into an ill-judged lofted drive, off Washington, hitting it straight to point.

When they returned to bat after tea, Afghanistan’s lower-order batters were in no mood to stick around. Suthar plucked out one last wicket, pinning Afsar Zazai on the pads off a front-foot defense. On the other hand, Azmatullah Omarzai, Nangeyalia Kharote, and Mohammad Saleem all fell while miscuing lofted shots. Saleem’s edge to B Sai Sudharsan at covers sealed an innings-win for India.

Scores:
India 564 for 8 dec in 127 overs (KL Rahul 100, Sai Sudarshan 81, Shubman Gill 126,  Rishbah Pant 81, Washington Sundar 52*; Mohammed Saleem 6-140) beat Afghanistan 152 in 58.4 overs (Rahmat Shah 60; Prasidh Krishna 3-37, Manav Suthar 6-33 ) and 112 in 35.5 overs  (Sediqullah Atal 42; Manav Suthar 1-29, Washington  Sundar 4-36, Kuldeep Yadav 3-30) by an innings and 300 runs

[Cricinfo]

Having largely relied on Nathan Ellis for the last two matches in Pakistan – and even he was effectively bowling fast cutters most of the time – along with a handful of overs from Cameron Green, the likes of Xavier Bartlett and Ben Dwarshuis  could well have a role to play.

Should pace play a significant part that should, in theory, provide a more familiar challenge for Australia’s batters. However, a home attack that could consist of Nahid Rana, Taskin Ahmed and the variations of Mustafizur Rahman should pose plenty of questions, especially for those struggling for form such as Marnus Labuschagne  – if he is able to retain his place in the side. That isn’t to say spin won’t be a threat as well, with Bangladesh well covered in that department. Either way, it’s been a country where the bowlers are in the game: there hasn’t been an ODI total over 300 in Bangladesh since 2023.

The hosts have won their last four series at home – against Sri Lanka, West Indies, Pakistan and New Zealand – and while each of those teams have had problems of their own, Bangladesh have found a formula that is working.

Mosaddek Hossain will most likely return to the Bangladesh ODI side for the first time since August 2022, while the pace attack will include the first choice trio.

Bangladesh (probable): Tanzid Hasan,  Saif Hassan,  Najmul Hossain Shanto,  Tawhid Hridoy,  Litton Das,  Mosaddek Hossain,  Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt),  Rishad Hossain,  Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman,  Nahid Rana

Australia will likely need an extra pace bowler compared to how they finished the Pakistan series. Both Bartlett and Dwarshuis offer something with the bat, too, which is helpful for the balance of the lower order. Cooper Connolly remains available as a batter only, at least for the ODI series, and both he and the uncapped allrounder Liam Scott could put pressure on Labuschagne if the batting order was shuffled.

Australia (probable): Matt Short, Josh Inglis (capt & wk),  Marnus Labuschagne, Aex Carey,  Cameron Green,  Matt Renshaw, Ollie Peake,  Xavier Bartlett,  Matt Kuhnemann,  Nathan Ellis,  Adam Zampa

(Cricinfo)