India-Afghanistan Test: Remember the lessons, coach Simmons tells Afghans

For the Afghanistan cricket team, the day started with Eid celebrations at the team hotel but as the day progressed there was nothing much to celebrate. Afghanistan's historic Test debut lasted only for two days. They got thrashed by India, the number one Test team in the world, and were bowled out twice in a day in the match. This is only the fourth occasion in Test cricket when a team has been bowled twice in a day. It is also the first time India have won a Test match in two days.

It was a brutal lesson dished out to the Test newbies. The Indian team invited Afghanistan to pose with them with the winner's trophy, telling them that it was more of a learning process than a loss—a thought echoed by Afghanistan's head coach Phil Simmons. The former West Indian all-rounder appeared disappointed with the quick finish.

“The learning curve (of playing against the best team in the world) is huge. There is a mountain to climb. But the players want to succeed, they work very hard. They have to work five times as harder as they did in last four weeks. I believe they will get there.”

Simmons was acutely disappointed by the manner in which his team capitulated when its turn came to bat this afternoon. “Not just disappointed at losing but disappointed at the way we played today. I think we can put first two hours in the dump yesterday and then we showed what we are capable of on the field. But today, I don’t know what my answer is to our performance.”

Afghanistan's inexperience in Test cricket was laid bare, as in the first innings, middle-order batsman Mohammed Nabi lasted the longest—for 55 minutes. In the second innings, it was Hashmatullah Shahidi who lasted 130 minutes. Afghanistan's first innings lasted 123 minutes and folded up in 27.2 overs, and following on, their second innings lasted for 165 minutes.

When asked whether the occasion got the better of his players despite preparing them as much as possible, Simmons said, “I will blame 30 per cent on the occasion but I blame a lot more on the naivety of what Test cricket is about. You can play as much Intercontinental Cup and four-day cricket as you want but when you get to the big league and play the no. 1 team, it shows. And today it showed in a big way.”

Simmons was the voice of wisdom, urging Afghanistan to give more opportunities to play A teams to bridge the gap between Test cricket and first-class four-day cricket back home. “I think with us there has to be a lot more A team cricket played against big countries by some players... players just below 18... in England, India, Bangladesh, Australia…. So, I think that’s the best way for us to close this gap.”

Afghanistan's second Test match is against another debutant team Ireland in early 2019. While that may be a better matched face-off, Simmons felt that playing a top grade team in a Test match was the best lesson the team would have got unlike playing the lower-ranked Test teams. “It may have been more competitive but you wouldn’t have learnt as much as you did from this game because when you play against the best you will know how much you have to do to get where they are. That’s what I will take away from this game. Players see that now and it’s not just telling them that how tough Test cricket is. I agree that it would have been more competitive against a no. 8 or no. 9 team, but I will take what we get from this game.”

Afghanistan now return home where they will get a few weeks rest before participating in a domestic tournament. The team has been practising in India for the last month and a half and for the likes of Rashid Khan, it will be a bitter sweet homecoming having been away from home for over an year.