India are set to face Afghanistan in a one-off Test at the PCA Stadium in Mullanpur, with the five-day contest scheduled to begin on July 6. Ahead of the red-ball fixture, India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate provided an encouraging update on Mohammed Siraj’s fitness, as the team management continues to fine-tune its plans after a demanding IPL season.
Siraj, who picked up a strain during the Gujarat Titans’ deep run in IPL 2026, appears to be recovering well and is on course to be available for selection. The fast bowler has been a vital part of India’s pace attack, and his fitness will be a major boost as the management looks to balance experience with emerging talent in the squad.
The bowling unit for the Afghanistan Test is expected to feature Siraj alongside Prasidh Krishna and young Gurnoor Brar, giving India a fresh-looking seam attack. In the spin department, Kuldeep Yadav is likely to lead the charge, with Washington Sundar also expected to play a key role. Harsh Dubey and Manav Suthar have also been included, giving India several options as they prepare for conditions that could assist spin later in the match.
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“Siraj bowled yesterday, he looked absolutely fine. It’s been great having some fresh faces around too. I think the chance of both of them playing in the Test is probably pretty small. We haven’t finalized the combination, but I’d imagine Kuldeep will play, Washy will play, and then one of those two will play as well.”
He added, “You’ve got seven guys in the squad who played the IPL final five days ago. So it’s just been good having fresh faces. And our main job now is to freshen the guys up and get them ready for a Test match starting in a couple of days.”
Ten Doeschate also spoke about the challenge of switching from the fast-paced IPL environment to the demands of Test cricket. With several players arriving directly from the IPL final, the coaching staff has focused on recovery, workload management, and helping the squad adjust to the slower rhythm of red-ball cricket.
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“The IPL time cycle is so different to what Test matches require,” the Ryan ten Doeschate coach said. “The guys have had three days to do it. Obviously an early training session yesterday, today afternoon, and tomorrow will be morning again – optional. But I think guys have taken it upon themselves to be up early. I’ve seen a lot of guys around the breakfast room in the last couple of days. Adrian scheduled some gym stuff early morning just to force guys to get up and adjust the time slot.”
With Siraj nearing full fitness and several new names in the mix, India will enter the Afghanistan Test with both depth and fresh energy as they prepare for a new chapter in the longest format.
