'One of the great challenges' - Coach Richard Pybus looks ahead to Afghanistan's monumental task of facing Team India

Afghanistan Head Coach Richard Pybus has outlined the magnitude of the challenge ahead of his side when they take on India in a one-off Test match, commencing on Saturday, June 6, at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.

The Men in Red last played a Test match in October 2025 when they travelled to the continent of Africa to face Zimbabwe. They are now up against India, which is widely regarded as one of the toughest places to play red-ball cricket. Coach Pybus understands the challenge in front of his side and looks forward to the game on Saturday.

"You come to India and you play India in India, it's one of the great challenges in world cricket, and it always has been. There is no doubt that India are incredibly challenging to beat at home, not only because of the quality of the players but also their understanding of their home conditions," Richard Pybus said in the pre-match press conference.

Pybus also thanked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for setting up not only the one-off Test match but also a three-match ODI series to follow. This multi-format tour will help develop the game in Afghanistan, with the 61-year-old coach hoping that this is the start of smaller nations getting proper fixtures to showcase their talents.

"Credit to the BCCI. They've given us plenty of cricket this year, which is fantastic for us to be able to develop. When a country gets full membership, it's one thing to get it; then you need a full fixture list. I'd like to see, going forward, that the other senior full members also start to build out the list. We need to be in a situation now where there's a proper fixture list," he added.

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The upcoming one-off Test match will be the second time India will play Afghanistan in the longest format of the game. The two sides first met back in 2018 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The Men in Blue, captained by Ajinkya Rahane, secured the win by an innings and 262 runs, with Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay each scoring centuries in the first innings.