IND vs BAN 1st Test: Centurion R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja class act outshines Hasan Mahmud's heroics at Chepauk

Add as a preferred source on Google

Chennai, Sep 19: The trappings of Test cricket were in full bloom at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, in Chennai on Thursday (September 19) as two men, better known for their craft as spinners, showed the Bangladesh bowlers what they could do with the bat as well.

For those who still feel Test cricket is dull and boring, the way Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, aged 38 and 35 respectively, were in combat mode was a treat to watch. Read More: IND vs BAN: R Ashwin Slams His Fastest Test Century

R Ashwin Showcases Batting Prowess at Home

Just two days after he turned 38, Ashwin was the lord and master at his own venue where he showcased his batting skills with a knock which was effulgent. To slam his sixth Test hundred was proof he still has so much left in him as a cricketer.

By no yardstick was it dull and dour, and if one looks at the number of deliveries he faced and the strike rate, it stood out. Unbeaten on 102 at stumps, off 112 deliveries, with 10 fours and two sixes adorning it, Ashwin stays relevant and defines the term all-rounder. Also Read: Ashwin-Jadeja create multiple records at Chepauk

And to be in the company of Jadeja, whose all-round skills have never been in doubt, these two batters took on pace and spin with authority. Indeed, the morning and early afternoon belonged to Hasan Mahmud, whose medium fast bowling was skillful, where he used the seam intelligently and triggered a collapse.

For those who had written this Test would be a contest where spinners would have a bigger say, the inclusion of three pacers, both by India and Bangladesh, was surprising. Also Read: Yashasvi Jaiswal Becomes Second-Highest Run-Scorer of 2024

Overcast sky plus a track which had juice early on, after it had been dug up and dressed again, Mahmud stuck to the basics of a good length and exploited the corridors of uncertainty, which is outside the off-stump.

To have removed Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and pugnacious Rishabh Pant was sensational stuff. Of the three Bangladesh bowlers in the fast bowling department - Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana and Hasan himself - the youngest of the lot and least experienced did show that he can be a menace. After all, even in the series against Pakistan, which Bangladesh won, Hasan Mahmud had done the damage.

Well, if that was the preface to the story on Day 1, how could one not talk of two southpaws whose audacity caused a storm? Yes, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant, chipping in with 56 and 39 was vital in India's fightback, even as social media had started lambasting Rohit Sharma, Kohli and Gill.

Ashwin-Jadeja Partnership Steals The Show

For sheer application and taking on the bowlers, what Ashwin and Jadeja did, stitching together a 195 partnership is what was needed. Suddenly, all talk of the pitch being venomous and Bangladesh being on the ascendant went out of the window.

For the Indian team, with Gautam Gambhir as coach of the Test side for the first time, it must have been a delight to watch Ashwin. He has shared the dressing room with Ashwin in the past. For the record, Ashwin had played only two matches in the 2011 World Cup, where Gambhir had played important roles.

Back to the importance of Test cricket and experience, if there have been doubts about quality all-rounders for India, Ashwin and Jadeja have scripted a new chapter which is so important.

After all, to leave out Kuldeep Yadav and just play with Ashwin and Jadeja must have been well thought out. Kuldeep, too, has worked a lot on his batting in recent times.

A score of 339 for six after 80 overs has placed India so well. Can Jadeja get his hundred as well on Friday will be worth guessing. He has been sublime, and unbeaten on 86.