Chennai. Centurions Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja helped India recover from the initial setbacks from Bangladesh and reach 339 runs for six wickets on the first day of the first cricket test on Thursday. Both of them have scored 195 runs in an unbroken partnership for the seventh wicket. Earlier, the Indian top order failed miserably and in the first two sessions, the Bangladeshi bowlers created pressure and took six wickets for 144 runs.
After this, Chennai-born Ashwin and Jadeja, who plays for Chennai Super Kings, played unmatched innings at their home ground MA Chidambaram Stadium, demonstrating amazing patience and mutual coordination. Ashwin, who scored his sixth Test century, scored 102 runs in 112 balls at a strike rate of over 91, which included 10 fours and two sixes. Jadeja, on the other hand, has scored 86 runs in 117 balls. He also hit 10 fours and two sixes in his innings. Earlier, Hasan Mahmud, who made his Test debut in March this year, completely destroyed the Indian top order. 24-year-old Mahmud took three wickets in his first spell, giving away just six runs in five overs. He took four wickets for 58 runs in 18 overs.
Apart from Yashasvi Jaiswal, no batsman from India could face the Bangladeshi bowling attack in the morning session. Jaiswal scored 56 runs in 118 balls with the help of nine fours. The Indian batsmen disappointed a lot because there was no challenge from the pitch or the bowlers that could not be faced. The host batsmen kept losing wickets due to their own loss of concentration. Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant (39) added 62 runs in 99 balls for the fourth wicket. Pant, who looked impressive in the first session, was caught by wicketkeeper Liton Das off Mahmood’s ball. This was his first Test after the 2022 car accident in which he remained at the crease for 83 minutes.
Jaiswal completed his half-century in 95 balls by taking a run off Mehdi Hasan Miraz’s ball. However, he lost his concentration after this and got caught by Shadman Islam at first slip off Nahid Rana’s ball. KL Rahul became the victim of off-spinner Miraz after scoring 16 runs. India lost six wickets for 144 runs. The second session was also like the first session in which Bangladeshi bowlers dominated. Bangladesh won the toss and decided to bowl and the entire focus was on express bowler Nahid Rana but Mahmud gave shocks to the Indian innings. Rohit Sharma (six) got a lifeline from DRS on a score of one but he could not take advantage of it. He returned after getting caught by Nazmul Hasan Shanto at second slip.
Shubman Gill (0) could not even open his account and got caught by wicketkeeper Liton Das after playing eight balls. Virat Kohli (six) was welcomed with thunderous applause when he came to the field but he too could not stay. Mahmood bowled a ball outside the off stump, on which Virat paid the price for hitting his bat and Liton caught the catch behind the wicket. India lost three wickets within 34 runs in the first three overs on the pitch of MA Chidambaram Stadium. After this, Pant, who was sent above Jaiswal and KL Rahul, tried to handle the innings.