Sundar played the perfect supporting role in the lower order, finishing unbeaten on 52 and bringing up his sixth Test fifty with a wristy boundary. Mohammed Siraj added late momentum with a career-best 22 from only 12 balls before Mohammad Saleem Safi ended his entertaining cameo. The Afghan pacer enjoyed a memorable outing, registering career-best figures of 6 for 140 after making effective use of the second new ball.
India’s imposing total had earlier been built around captain Shubman Gill’s commanding 126 and KL Rahul’s century, with Sai Sudharsan and Rishabh Pant both contributing 81. Their positive intent helped India register one of their quickest 500-plus totals in Test history.
Given two sessions to bowl, India’s attack wasted little time. Afghanistan openers Abdul Malik and Sediqullah Atal played a few attractive strokes and looked comfortable initially against Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna.
However, Gill’s tactical move to bring on Suthar just before tea produced immediate rewards. The left-arm spinner struck with only the fourth delivery of his Test career when Malik top-edged an attempted sweep and Siraj held on to a sharp catch.
Afghanistan headed into the break at 28 for 1, still 536 runs behind, with India firmly in control and the surface expected to offer increasing assistance to the spinners.