Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 4 (ANI): Ahead of India's one-off Test against Afghanistan, former Indian cricketer Saba Karim said that even though the match is not a part of the ICC World Test Championship cycle, India will treat it as an important game as they have problems to fix their batting and bowling woes in the longest format, especially in home conditions, where they have lost their long-lasting dominance.

India will take on Afghanistan in a one-off Test from June 6 onwards at New Chandigarh. This comes after the Men in Blue suffered a 0-2 clean sweep loss to South Africa at home last year, marking back-to-back series whitewashes in two years in a row, after a 0-3 whitewash loss to New Zealand in 2024, which marked the end of India's 12-year unbeaten streak at home.

During the past few years, Team India has been let down by the performance of its batters against spin and with the retirements of Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara last year, they are facing a period of transition. India's number three revolving door has not been solved either, with Sudharsan collecting just 302 runs in 11 innings in six Tests at an average of 27.45, with two fifties.

Speaking on JioStar, JioStar expert Saba Karim said, 'Yes, this Test match against Afghanistan is not part of the WTC cycle, but India will treat it as an important game. It gives them a chance to fix the problems they have faced in both batting and bowling. India has reached a stage where they need to seriously work on their Test cricket, especially in home conditions, where they have not been as dominant as before.'

Karim also said that the Test match is an ideal platform for selectors to try out new combinations and youngsters. Pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been rested, with Mohammed Siraj set to serve as a pace spearhead with Prasidh Krishna, uncapped youngster Gurnoor Brar and Nitish Kumar Reddy as pace bowling options. Also, Devdutt Padikkal, who had a sensational domestic season last year and an IPL-winning campaign with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) this year, is another option for number three.

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is also missing this one-off Test, with uncapped spin bowling all-rounders Manav Suthar and Harsh Dubey in the squad.

'I think this Test provides an ideal platform for the selectors and the team management to try out new combinations and test young players. Exciting young talents have been picked in the squad. Performing here will give them the confidence to be selected for future series, including the big home series against Australia. If you look at where Indian Test cricket stands today, this match is a great opportunity. It is not just about winning; it is about building a team for the future,' he added.

India Test squad vs Afghanistan: Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vc), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel. (ANI)