Ravichandran Ashwin completed his fourth double of a hundred and a five-for in the same Test – and his second in successive Tests at Chepauk – to take India to a 1-0 series lead against Bangladesh on the fourth morning in Chennai. Ravichandran Ashwin was the hero with the ball for India as he picked up a six-wicket haul to go with his hundred in the Chennai Test. Ravindra Jadeja complemented him with three wickets himself as India completed a massive 280-run win against Bangladesh.
In case Ravichandran Ashwin doesn’t get to add to his tally of five Tests in Chennai, the wily off-spinner can peacefully ride into the sunset knowing he scored a century, took a five-wicket haul and was the Player of the Match in his final outing at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. At 38, Ravichandran Ashwin is probably in the final phase of his career.
Pitch and Toss
Pitch Report : It was a day very unlike to what we were used to in Chennai – very cool at the moment at 28 degrees, but as the day progresses, it promised to be 33-34 which will be like the Chennai we all know. As we speak about the pitch, it’s a red soil pitch. And what does red soil mean – bounce, turn and as the game progresses, the big spinners come into play. They have left a little bit of residual moisture underneath the pitch. So the fast bowlers will have their say at the start.
Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hasan Shanto won the toss and chose to field with 3 fast bowlers and 2 spinners in the playing XI. India skipper Rohit Sharma batting first also had 3 fast bowlers and 2 spinners to his playing XI .
Day 1 : India regain control courtesy of Ravichandran Ashwin’s hundred on Day 1.
An excellent century from Ravichandran Ashwin led India’s fine comeback on the opening day of the first Test against Bangladesh. Ashwin (102*) and Ravindra Jadeja (86*) were involved in a record partnership for the seventh wicket, helping India move into a position of strength after being forced on the backfoot in the first two sessions.
Despite Yashaswi Jaiswal’s fifty, India were reduced to 144 for 6 at one stage, which was largely due to Hasan Mahmud’s incisive bowling. But Ravichandran Ashwin and Jadeja led a fine counterattack as they put on 195 in only 227 balls to take India to 339/6 at Stumps on the opening day.
India managed only 88 runs and lost three wickets in each of the first two sessions but the urgency displayed by Ravichandran Ashwin and Jadeja, who scored 20 fours and 4 sixes between them, helped the hosts come out on top, as they got 163 runs in the final session at a rate of over five an over. Bangladesh were poor with their over-rate, managing only 23 and 25 overs in the first two sessions, and could only bowl 32 overs in the final session on Day 1, that too after the extra 30 minutes were used.
Bangladesh made early inroads after electing to bowl, making the most of the helpful conditions for the pacemen. Taskin Ahmed tested Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma in the opening session and the latter narrowly survived a lbw review off Mahmud’s bowling, with the umpire’s call saving him.
But Rohit couldn’t last much longer, edging one to second slip as Mahmud struck the first blow. Shubman Gill followed soon after for an eight-ball duck, caught down the leg side, and Virat Kohli got an outside edge to the ‘keeper, with Mahmud inflicting all the damage and reducing India to 34 for 3.
Nahid Rana’s pace presented fresh challenges but Rishabh Pant returning to Test cricket after nearly two years, settled in by finding boundaries. Pant and Jaiswal put together a steady 62-run partnership, with both players scoring regular boundaries and rotating the strike well. Rana’s pace was to Pant’s liking while Jaiswal took on Mehidy Hasan Miraz for a couple of boundaries.
Pant had a couple of nervous moments before the lunch break. He hit a short ball from Taskin which landed short of the fielder before getting an outside edge off the same bowler but the ball landed short of first slip, where Shadman Islam reacted late.
However, Mahmud continued to trouble the Indian batters, dismissing Pant for 39 just after Lunch with another crucial breakthrough, ending the promising stand. A watchful stand between Jaiswal and KL Rahul ensued, with the former reaching his fifty, but couldn’t build further. He got an outside edge off a short of length delivery from Rana which ended a 48-run stand. Rahul also fell soon after, caught at short-leg off Mehidy, leaving India in further trouble.
Ravichandran Ashwin then came out with a positive intent, dealing in regular boundaries on either side of Tea, with Jadeja supporting him well from the other end. Jadeja struck a six off Mahmud in the final session to get India going and used the review to reverse a lbw decision off the same bowler, with replays revealing an inside edge.
Ravichandran Ashwin then got two fours off Mahmud to raise the half-century stand, and Bangladesh also lost a review going upstairs for an lbw decision. Shakib Al Hasan came into the attack only in the 53rd over and he was greeted by Jadeja with a four while Ravichandran Ashwin nailed a slog-sweep for his first six. Jadeja then struck a six off the left-arm spinner in similar fashion and followed it up with two boundaries.
Ravichandran Ashwin brought up a 58-ball fifty and the 100-run stand was raised off only 114 deliveries. Ashwin collected two more fours, playing a ramp shot and a glance off Rana. The regular frequency of boundaries, along with the singles and twos, frustrated the Bangladesh team.
Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin surpassed Sachin Tendulkar’s and Zaheer Khan’s 133-run partnership, in 2004, to register India’s highest seventh wicket stand against Bangladesh. Jadeja then brought up his fifty and put away short balls from Mehidy for a couple of boundaries.
A lovely cover drive by Jadeja off Rana extended the partnership past 150 before Ravichandran Ashwin sent a Mehidy delivery over the fence to power India past 300. Ashwin got into the 90s with a cut shot for four off Rana before Jadeja clubbed Mehidy for a four and a six. On 95, Ravichandran Ashwin was fortunate that the edge off Shakib’s bowling went wide of slip for a couple of runs. He went on to bring up his sixth Test hundred – and his second in Chennai – before Jadeja entered the 80s with a four off Shakib ahead of Stumps.
Day 2 : Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja puts India in pole position after 17-wicket day in Chennai
On a 17-wicket Day 2 in Chennai, the most that have fallen in a day at the venue, Jasprit Bumrah’s four-wicket haul led a collective bowling performance from India as they bowled Bangladesh out for only 149 after folding for 376 earlier in the day. India lost early wickets in their second innings but they remain in firm control of the first Test, having reached 81/3, leading by 308 runs.
Bangladesh suffered early setbacks in their innings after bowling out India early. Bumrah decided to change the angle, coming from around the wicket to see Shadman Islam shoulder arms to a delivery that came in as he was bowled for 2. Zakir Hasan had a lucky break as he was rapped on the pad by Mohammed Siraj but India chose not to review, with replays later revealing three reds.
After three overs each for Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep and R Ashwin were introduced into the attack and the former had Zakir and Mominul Haque bowled off successive deliveries to leave Bangladesh at 22/3.
Najmul Hossain Shanto, who had made a promising start, had to depart early in the second session as Siraj got him to edge the ball to second slip. Bangladesh slipped to 40/5 as Bumrah got the better of Mushfiqur Rahim with a delivery that moved away late.
A half-century partnership between Shakib Al Hasan and Litton Das ensued, with the pair batting watchfully initially before starting to play their shots. They struck eight fours between them to lead a mini recovery but India hit back with Ravindra Jadeja dismissing both. Hasan Mahmud and Mehidy Hasan Miraz scored a few boundaries but the former fell to Bumrah on the brink of Tea to leave Bangladesh eight down.
Mehidy and Taskin Ahmed kept India waiting for a while with a partnership worth 18. But Bumrah, who bowled a few short deliveries to Taskin, got him bowled eventually with a yorker. Mehidy tried to farm the strike as much as possible while batting with Nahid Rana, and even hit Ravichandran Ashwin for a six. Rana managed a couple of boundaries off Bumrah and Akash missed the chance to run the No.11 out. But Siraj came back and had Rana bowled to give India a 227-run lead.
Yashaswi Jaiswal helped India start positively as he struck two fours in the first over off Taskin, while Rohit Sharma also got off the mark with a clip off Hasan Mahmud for a four. Taskin, though, ended the Indian captain’s stay, getting one to move away late to find the outside edge. Jaiswal was the next to fall, edging Rana to the ‘keeper. Shubman Gill played a few lovely shots, with Virat Kohli supporting him from the other end.
Kohli struck a fine pull off Mehidy but fell soon after, trapped in front while attempting to flick a full delivery. He chose not to review but replays later revealed that there was an inside edge. Rishabh Pant hit a four off Shakib for his first boundary and followed it up with a six as India extended their lead past 300. Pant and Shubman were unbeaten, having added 14 runs.
Earlier, India’s innings was cut short by Taskin, who bagged three quick wickets while Mahmud became the first Bangladesh pacer to bag a five-wicket haul. India folded quickly on Day 2, adding only 37 runs to their overnight total. It was still a remarkable performance from India’s lower order, led by Ashwin’s 113 and Jadeja’s 86, as they added 232 for the last four wickets having been reduced to 144/6 on Day 1.
Taskin, who began with the second new ball at the start of the day, had Jadeja poking at a delivery outside off to dismiss him for his overnight score of 86. Ravichandran Ashwin, meanwhile, edged one off Mahmud for a four, and Akash struck a flurry of boundaries off Mahmud. Akash contributed 17 in a 24-run stand with Ashwin before he fell to Taskin looking for a big shot.
Taskin then ended a fine innings from Ravichandran Ashwin, who looked to go over the top but ended up handing a catch to Najmul at deep mid off. Bumrah was the last to fall, as Mahmud finally bagged his fifth wicket.
Day 3 : Twin tons from Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill puts India in the box seat
India sat firmly in the driver’s seat at the end of the third day’s play after being set up nicely by tons from Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant. The duo had enabled them to declare with a lead of 514 with more than two and a half day’s play left in the first Test at Chennai. In reply, Bangladesh put in a better batting show in comparison to their first dig but still lost four wickets, with Ravichandran Ashwin being the wrecker-in-chief.
Ravichandran Ashwin, fresh off a hundred with the bat, had not got a wicket in the first innings here but as the match wore on, he began to find some assistance which he expertly exploited. But this was not before openers Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam put on a confident 62-run stand.
The pitch had no demons on it until then and the duo began to drive well against the pacers, putting both Mohammad Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah under the sword a little. The confident strokes gave Bangladesh something to cheer about in an otherwise woeful game. However, Hasan eventually nicked Bumrah and was caught well by Yashaswi Jaiswal at gully.
Ravichandran Ashwin gradually began to make his presence felt with teasing lines and the occasional turn and bounce threatening the left-handers. He first had Shadman caught at midwicket, before bowling Mominul Haque with a beautiful off break that beat the outside edge.
Mushfiqur Rahim came in with an intent to counterattack and even lofted Ashwin for a six before he mistimed the encore and was caught at mid on. In the daunting chase, Bangladesh were in the doldrums before bad light forced an early end to the day’s play. Despite the loss of overs, India had forged ahead thanks to the quick work of the batters earlier in the day.
Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant registered tons and put on a 167-run stand that had Bangladesh chasing leather. The play got underway on time on an overcast morning despite overnight and early morning rains. Pant got India going with a pull shot off Mehidy Hasan Miraz for a four and his second four of the day was a controlled pull off Hasan Mahmud.
Gill, who began watchfully, came down the track and struck two sixes off Mehidy to bring up a fine half-century, the fifty-run stand was raised soon after, and India also extended their lead past 350. But it was a watchful start in the first hour as India managed 48 runs in 15 overs despite Pant striking another four off Mehidy.
Pant got to his fifty close to 30 minutes into the second hour, taking 88 balls to get there having started the day at 12 off 13. It was a wait and watch approach from the pair as they cashed in on the loose deliveries. Gill put away a slow, short delivery from Mahmud for a four, followed by a fine shot from Pant as he came down the track and went inside-out off Mehidy for a boundary. Gill also came down the track to Mehidy, just about clearing the long-on boundary for his third six.
Pant executed a reverse-sweep off Shakib Al Hasan for a four to raise the century stand. There was, perhaps, a message from the dressing room, as Pant shifted to a higher gear, punching a Mahmud delivery for a boundary, followed by a lap shot for a six.
Gill came down the track to Shakib and converted the ball into a full-toss as he played it wide of cover for a four. To add to Bangladesh’s woes, their skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto put down a catch to give Pant a reprieve. Pant then struck two fours off Shakib despite it being the last over before Lunch as India asserted their authority.
The top gear continued post the break as Pant raced through the 80s and 90s with a flurry of boundaries to bring up his sixth Test ton, marking a memorable return to Test cricket after two years. He was dismissed caught and bowled by Mehidy soon after but Gill clipped his way to his hundred – fifth in Tests – as India piled on the misery. The declaration came with about an hour’s play left in the second session, before Ravichandran Ashwin and Co. took over.
Day 4 : Ravichandran Ashwin, Jadeja share nine as India rout Bangladesh by 280 runs
Ravichandran Ashwin was the hero with the ball for India as he picked up a six-wicket haul to go with his hundred in the Chennai Test. Ravindra Jadeja complemented him with three wickets himself as India completed a massive 280-run win against Bangladesh.
The visitors, started the fourth morning needing 357 more, and despite the daunting task at hand both Najmul Hasan Shanto and Shakib Al Hasan saw through the first hour without a blemish.
Both the left-handers were tested by the angle across from Mohammad Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah but they managed to survive that challenge. Testing them equally at the other end was Jadeja who managed to fire the ball into the rough outside the left-handers offstump and kept the batters on their toes. The uneven turn and bounce was also a challenge for ‘keeper Rishabh Pant who missed a stumping chance off Shakib.
The duo employed the sweep to try and put Jadeja off, earning them some welcome boundaries in a 48-run stand. However, a wicket seemed around the corner and it came when Ravichandran Ashwin came into the attack, striking in his first over. Shakib got an inside edge that was snapped up at short leg and opening up the sluice gates.
The spin twins, bowling in tandem now, challenged both edges and were all over the batting line-up. Litton Das was beaten a couple of times before he nicked Jadeja to slip. Mehidy Hasan attempted a big hit and holed out to long on, giving Ashwin his 37th Test five-fer putting him on par with Shane Warne in the all-time list. He added one more when Taskin Ahmed top-edged a slog as the end came swiftly around.
Jadeja wrapped things up as he went past Hasan Mahmud’s wild slog to get to 299 Test wickets as well as giving India a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series. Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto kept the probing bowling at bay, spending a wicketless first hour with Shakib Al Hasan.
But Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja broke down the resistance in the second hour. Ashwin’s 37th five-wicket haul took him level with the great Shane Warne, behind only Muttiah Muralitharan’s 67.
India started the day needing six wickets to win, but were denied at the start. The first hour, although wicketless, featured testing spells from Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah. Siraj, in particular, bowled through the hour, kept going past Shanto’s bat, and tried to engage him in verbal’s, but Shanto kept resisting him. Shakib wore a blow on his fingers, but managed to keep Shanto company.
Just after drinks, though, Chennai boy Ashwin and Chennai Super King Jadeja got together in a reminder of how their batting partnership on day one took the game away from Bangladesh. In his first over, Ravichandran Ashwin’s drift made Shakib play down the wrong line for Yashaswi Jaiswal to take another sharp catch at short leg. This wicket took him past Courtney Walsh’s 519 to No. 8 on the all-time wicket-takers’ table.
Jadeja’s quick pace and turn soon drew an edge from Litton Das for an easier catch at first slip. Playing at home, Ashwin then received a gift from Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who decided to take the long-on fielder on, and ended up offering Jadeja a simple catch – fitting that Ravichandran Ashwin’s five-wicket haul was completed with a Jadeja catch.
Trying to farm the strike, Shanto decided to have a go at Jadeja last ball of an over, but the wily spinner bowled wide to draw a wicket-taking thick edge. It was only a matter of time after that. A minor detail was that what could have been Ravichandran Ashwin’s seventh wicket – not given and not reviewed – ended up becoming Jadeja’s third in the next over.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Najmul Hossain Shanto the loosing skipper said : The positive thing is the way Hasan, Taskin and Rana bowled in the first 2-3 hours, really impressive. After that, they (India) batted really well. Seaming option – everyone contributed. The way we bowled with the new ball, it’s impressive. The last couple of series we have bowled really well but we have to continue that. As a batter, I always try to contribute.
I enjoy my batting. Just try to bat as long as we can without thinking about the outcome, just try to follow our process and play with our strength that’s what we wanted to do. Bowlers did a great job, I hope the batters will do something special.
Rohit Sharma the winning skipper said : It was a great result looking at what lies ahead for us. We are playing after a long time, but you are never out of cricket. We came here a week before, we had a good lead up to the Test match and we got the result that we wanted. (On Pant’s hundred) He’s been through some really tough times. The way he has managed himself through those tough times was superb to watch.
He came back in the IPL, followed by a very successful World Cup and this is the format he loves the most. For us, it was never about what is he going to do with the bat, we always knew what he had with the bat and with the gloves as well. It was just about giving him the game time. Credit to him as well, he went on to play Duleep Trophy and got ready for this Test match and had an impact straightaway in the game.
No matter what the conditions are, whether we play in India, whether we play outside, we want to build the team around that (strong bowling). Whatever the condition has to offer, we got to be ready for it. In the last few years, wherever we have played, we have managed to have that in our armory, whether it is seam bowling options or spin bowling options.
You have to give credit to the guys, whenever there is a responsibility, they never shy away from it and they want to put their hand up and get the job done for the team. The red soil pitch always has something to offer. You need to have a little bit of patience as well. You don’t see much happening straightaway. This was a pitch where we had to show a lot of patience whether we bat or bowl.
We were patient enough with the bat to get those big runs and then with the ball as well we were patient enough to hit the right areas and put them under pressure consistently. (On Ashwin) He’s next in line to talk to you, he’s the right man to answer what he does. Every time we look up to him, he’s always there for us whether with the bat or ball. I don’t know if I speak here, it’ll be enough of what he does for this team.
Every time we see him come out and do the job, it’s always so brilliant. He’s never out of the game. The last competitive cricket he played was IPL and then he had some fun playing TNPL. We watched him bat up the order and that’s what helped him as well to bat the way he did.
Ravichandran Ashwin is Player of the Match for his all round efforts said : Every time I play in Chennai in front of this crowd, it’s an amazing feeling for me. I have watched a lot of Test cricket and international cricket sitting in those stands. To play in front of those stands, it’s a beautifully renovated stadium now, that itself is a special feeling for me.
I am probably enjoying my game because of what I am doing and not because of what I want to get out of it. It was an opportunity to fight and dig in deep, that’s one of the reasons why we all play the game. I have seen so many of my team-mates do that in the past. I just kept it really simple, have to thank Jadeja for what he did, he just took me through the tough phases of the innings. Quite a special knock on the first day, didn’t sink in until day two.
Glad I ended up with a few wickets today as well. I make a living by bowling, so bowling comes first all the time. I think like a bowler mostly but I have made a conscious effort to think like a batter when I walk out with a bat in my hand. Batting is something that comes naturally but yet I have struggled sometimes with my thought getting ahead of myself. I have tried to manage it. Over the last few years, I have managed to compartmentalize both, but it is a work in process.
The spin twins do it for India once again. All smiles in the Indian camp as they notch up a comprehensive win. Inserted to bat, India were in spot of bother at 144/6 on a seam-friendly deck. That’s when Ashwin walked in to bat. He batted positively and fluently, recorded his 6th Test ton and forged a crucial 199-run stand with Jadeja as India posted 376 on the board. Post that, Bangladesh were skittled out for 149 in 1.5 sessions with the fifty partnership between Shakib and Litton being the only highlight of their batting.
India didn’t enforce the follow-on, centuries from Pant and Gill resulted in India setting Bangladesh a mammoth target in excess of 500. The visitors got off to a decent start with their openers being involved in a half-century partnership. They lost four wickets in the final session yesterday and were staring down the barrel.
Curtains down on this Chennai Test which doled out a good sporting deck. It was conducive for the pacers on the first two days as Hasan Mahmud and Bumrah picked a fifer and four-for respectively.
It wasn’t a belter but we witnessed three tons – Ashwin, Pant and Gill. Later, there was more purchase for the spinners in the final innings and Ashwin – who went wicketless in the first essay – picked up his 37th Test fifer. Bangladesh were on a high coming to India on the back of a historic Test series win in Pakistan but they’ve been thrashed here despite starting on a good note. Can they recover from this loss and come up with a better batting performance on the second test starting on Friday the 27th of September.