New Chandigarh, June 4 (IANS) Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi said his side has gained valuable experience playing Test cricket in recent years but stressed the need to play more longer-format matches to continue their growth ahead of their one‑off game against India, starting on Saturday.

Afghanistan were granted Test status in 2018 and took on India in their inaugural game, which ended in a heavy two-day defeat for the visitors at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Since then, Afghanistan have featured in only 12 matches in the format over the past eight years. Their last outing in the longest format came in October 2025 against Zimbabwe in Harare, where they lost by an innings and 73 runs.

“That 2018 match was our first-ever game in red-ball cricket, and compared to now, we didn’t have any experience back then. After that, we played more cricket and learned a lot. With time, you gain experience. Personally, I have gained a lot of experience compared to that time.

“We have more experience now, but we need to play more Tests. We play only one or two Test matches per year, so the boys don’t have that much experience playing red-ball cricket.

“But when it comes to our domestic structure, we have good first-class cricket in our country. Every boy plays six to seven games each and every year in red-ball. So that experience is also with us,” said Shahidi in a press conference on Thursday.

Afghanistan had a three-week preparatory camp in Jalalabad, where they adjusted to the rigours of red-ball cricket and playing under scorching heat. “The weather was around 34°C to 35°C over there, so we got used to it. Most of us are okay with the hot weather.

“I have two double-hundreds in my Test career across 10 or 11 games. Rahmat Shah has scored a double hundred, and other guys have scored hundreds for Afghanistan in this format. This shows we have the patience and we know how to score runs here.

“As everyone knows, the best format of this game is Test cricket. If anyone is better at red-ball cricket, they will definitely be good at white-ball cricket. That’s why we have a lot of talent in Afghanistan… everyone is excited to play,” added Shahidi.

The challenge of facing India in their backyard is enormous, and Shahidi signed off by saying, “We know India is a big country and they have a lot of players who can step up; there is no doubt the Indian players are very talented. But at the same time, I am the opposition captain, so I really want them not to do well in this game. I want my team to do well – we don’t hide or step backwards,” concluded Shahidi.

–IANS

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