Afghanistan Test: Cricket fans dodge AC and exam for history’s newest chapter.

New Chandigarh: From an Afghan student cheering on his childhood friends to a family flying 1,500 km from Pune, diehard fans turned their backs on air conditioning and study guides to witness cricket history, turning this centre’s maiden Test match into a vibrant, multi-national carnival.Businessmen from England and engineering students skipping an exam braved 40°C heat to watch local favourite Shubman Gill and K L Rahul plunder centuries and grind down a tiring Afghan attack on day one.The eclectic, international crowd that India-Afghanistan clash at Mullanpur drew transformed the stadium into a mosaic of hand-painted placards, jersey-clad fans, and cross-continental camaraderie.Among the earliest arrivals was Khial Mohammad, 25, an Afghan MBA student at Chandigarh University who moved 830 km from Kabul for his studies.

Initially the lone Afghanistan supporter in his block, Mohammad — who counts Afghan national players Nangyal Kharotai and Zia Sharifi as personal friends — was soon joined by a contingent of compatriots.“There was a time when we used to support other teams because we didn’t have one,” Mohammad said. “Now it feels good to back our own.”The allure of the five-day game also proved stronger than academic deadlines for a group of third-year engineering students from Andhra Pradesh.

Studying at Lovely Professional University in Jalandhar, the nine classmates made the journey to New Chandigarh right in the middle of their university examinations.“We love cricket and had to witness Test cricket live,” said Venkateswarlu, 21, who bought tickets primarily to see Indian batsman K L Rahul, who comes from Karnataka.The match served as a debut for many in the stands. One family of four flew nearly 1,500 km from Pune purely to satisfy their daughter’s passion for the sport, while twin sisters from Delhi Public School Chandigarh spent an entire day hand-crafting a massive stadium poster.Even international corporate travellers were swept up in the local euphoria. Two British executives, visiting India on a business trip, made an unscheduled detour to Mullanpur to experience the unique atmosphere of regional Test cricket firsthand.All the sacrifice and gamble paid off with a front-row seat to Indian dominance as home skipper Shubman Gill powered India to 368 for 3 by stumps. The opening day proved the enduring magic of the five-day game, a return to tradition after a long season of IPL’s 20-over slam bang.