India begin their red-ball assignment against Afghanistan on Saturday with more than just a victory on their minds. The one-off Test in New Chandigarh offers the hosts a chance to fine-tune their playing combination and address key selection questions that remain unresolved. After suffering a disappointing 0-2 home Test series defeat to South Africa last year, India will be eager to avoid any complacency and start on a stronger note.Afghanistan enter the contest as clear underdogs, but the visitors will be determined to show how much they have progressed since their last Test meeting with India.Match DetailsMatch: India vs Afghanistan, One-off TestDate: June 6, 2026 (Saturday)Venue: New ChandigarhTV Broadcast: Star Sports NetworkLive Streaming: JioHotstarLikely Playing XIsIndia Probable XIYashasvi JaiswalKL Rahul (vice-captain)Sai SudharsanShubman Gill (captain)Rishabh PantWashington SundarNitish Kumar ReddyHarsh Dubey / Manav SutharKuldeep YadavMohammed SirajPrasidh KrishnaAfghanistan Probable XIHashmatullah Shahidi (captain)Afsar Zazai (WK)Abdul MalikRahmanullah GurbazRahmat ShahAzmatullah OmarzaiSharafuddin AshrafZiaur Rahman SharifiQais AhmadBilal SamiMohammad Saleem SafiIndia vs Afghanistan test Pitch The pitch in New Chandigarh is expected to provide a balanced contest between bat and ball. Fast bowlers are likely to enjoy some assistance with the new ball, especially during the opening session when there could be movement off the surface. As the match progresses, batting conditions are expected to improve, allowing stroke-makers to settle in and build big scores. The surface may begin to wear down from Day 3 onwards, bringing spinners into the game and making shot selection more challenging. Teams winning the toss could prefer to bat first and take advantage of the relatively fresh conditions before the pitch starts offering more help to bowlers later in the match.Eight years after Bengaluru, Afghanistan seek a different storyThe last Test clash between the two sides took place in Bengaluru in 2018, a match that became memorable for all the wrong reasons from Afghanistan's perspective.Playing their maiden Test match, Afghanistan were bundled out twice inside two days. India dominated from start to finish, taking all 20 wickets before the match could stretch beyond the second day.A lot has changed since then, but the gap in experience between the two teams remains substantial.Experience still heavily tilted in India's favourSince that historic 2018 encounter, Afghanistan have played only 11 more Test matches. During the same period, India have featured in 67 Tests, highlighting the difference in exposure at the highest level.The contrast becomes even more striking when individual records are examined. India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant alone has appeared in 49 Test matches during that period. Interestingly, Pant had not yet made his Test debut when Afghanistan first faced India in the longest format.Among the players who featured in the Bengaluru Test, only KL Rahul remains in India's current squad. For Afghanistan, captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and senior batter Rahmat Shah are the only survivors from that contest.Afghanistan banking on improved batting unitAfghanistan's batting group arrives with more experience than the side that debuted in 2018. The current Afghan batting unit has registered a combined nine Test centuries.India, however, continue to hold a significant advantage, with the present squad accounting for 39 Test hundreds.The visitors prepared for the challenge through a training camp in Jalalabad, but translating preparation into performance against a stronger Indian side will be their toughest test yet.A crucial outing for India's next generationThe match also provides an opportunity for several Indian players to strengthen their claims in the Test setup. With a mix of established names and emerging talents in the squad, selectors will closely watch how the team shapes up ahead of future assignments.Led by Shubman Gill, India will aim to secure a comfortable victory while also finding answers to important selection puzzles.