On the first day of the first Test match against Bangladesh, India made an incredible comeback led by the stunning century of Ravichandran Ashwin. Ravindra Jadeja’s 86* and Ashwin’s undefeated 102, his second century at Chepauk and sixth overall, helped India recover from a poor opening partnership. India reached a dominant 339/6 at stumps thanks to the pair’s record-breaking seventh-wicket stand of 195 runs off just 227 balls.
Despite Yashasvi Jaiswal’s half-century, India was bowled out for 144 by Hasan Mahmud, showing signs of weakness early on. The best bowler was Mahmud (4-58), who decimated India’s top order. However, in a masterful response, Ashwin and Jadeja amassed 163 runs at an average of more than five runs per over, to dominate the last session. Their tenacity and assertiveness turned the tide in India’s favor after a testing first two sessions
Bangladesh’s Strong Start
Bangladesh chose to bowl, making the most of the advantageous circumstances. During the first session, Taskin Ahmed kept Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma on edge. Although Rohit was lucky to escape Hasan Mahmud’s LBW review, his reprieve was fleeting. Mahmud quickly caught him off guard, resulting in Bangladesh’s first real breakthrough. After that, the seamer quickly removed Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill (for a duck), leaving India struggling at 34 for 3.
With a 62-run partnership, Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant tried to steady the innings, Pant showing off his boundary-hitting prowess in his Test cricket comeback. But just after lunch, Pant’s encouraging knock came to a stop at 39, again thanks to Mahmud. After turning fifty, Jaiswal was unable to expand on it and was dismissed by Nahid Rana, followed soon after by KL Rahul, leaving India in further trouble.
Ashwin and Jadeja Turn the Tables
Ashwin made his aggressive debut with India in a vulnerable position. He consistently found the edge, and Jadeja was the ideal supporting cast member. The two started to dominate, with Jadeja hitting Mahmud for a six and successfully using the review system to overturn an LBW call. While Bangladesh battled with over rates, Ashwin also found his rhythm, picking up boundaries off Mahmud and Rana.
Bangladesh was frustrated as their 100-run partnership was reached in just 114 balls. The best seventh-wicket stand against Bangladesh was achieved by Ashwin and Jadeja, surpassing the mark of 133 runs held by Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan. Before long, Jadeja turned fifty and kept punishing loose deliveries, while Ashwin held his ground on the other end.
With a string of boundaries as the partnership took pace, Ashwin reached the nineties and completed his century with a couple of runs against Shakib Al Hasan. As stumps were called, Jadeja had already reached 86* and was closing in on his personal hundred.
India Wins the Batting Masterclass, Dominating
India exhibited a commanding batting performance against Bangladesh, scoring 339 runs at a cost of 6 wickets. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, who both got hundreds, were the two most impressive players. Ashwin, who is undefeated at102, and Jadeja, who has 86 runs, forged an important alliance that helped India’s score rise. With 56 runs, Yashasvi Jaiswal also contributed significantly. With four wickets at a cost of fifty-eight runs, Hasan Mahmud was the best bowler for Bangladesh.
Brief Scores:
India 339/6 against Bangladesh (Hasan Mahmud 458; Ravindra Jadeja 86, Yashasvi Jaiswal 56, Ravichandran Ashwin 102).
