India beat Bangladesh in first Test after Ashwin’s all-round heroics

Bangladesh were all out for 234 on the fourth day in Chennai as hometown hero Ashwin took 10 wickets after his century.

Ravichandran Ashwin wrecked Bangladesh as he claimed six wickets in the second innings and bowled India to a comprehensive 280-run victory on the fourth day of the opening Test match in Chennai.

Chasing a mammoth 515 victory target, Bangladesh were all out for 234, with only skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (82 runs) offering some resistance with the bat as India took a 1-0 lead in the two-match series on Sunday.

Playing at his home ground, the MA Chidambaram Stadium in India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, Ashwin followed up his first-day batting heroics (113 runs off 133 balls) by taking 10 wickets across the two Bangladesh innings. He was named player of the match.

A game-changing TON 💯 & 6⃣ Wickets! 👌 👌

For his brilliant all-round show on his home ground, R Ashwin bags the Player of the Match award 👏 👏

Scorecard ▶️ #TeamIndia | #INDvBAN | @ashwinravi99 | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/Nj2yeCzkm8

— BCCI (@BCCI) September 22, 2024

Ashwin’s spin-bowling partner Ravindra Jadeja claimed three wickets on the final day after scoring 86 runs in a 99-run partnership with Ashwin in India’s first innings.

After Bangladesh resumed their innings on 158-4 on the fourth day, Shanto and all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan kept India at bay with their dogged resistance in the opening hour.

Home captain Rohit Sharma pressed Ashwin into service and the local boy responded by breaking the partnership in his first over of the day.

The wily off-spinner lured the batter forward and Yashasvi Jaiswal took a bat-pad catch at short leg to end Shakib’s knock of 25.

Left-arm spinner Jadeja had Litton Das caught in the slip and returned to end Shanto’s defiant knock as Bangladesh collapsed in a heap to lose with five sessions to spare.

India declared their second innings at 287-4 on day three after centuries from Shubman Gill, who hit an unbeaten 119, and returning Rishabh Pant, who made 109, flattened the opposition.

Gill and the left-handed Pant, who is playing his first Test since a serious car crash in December 2022, put on 167 runs for the fourth wicket.

The Test was also Virat Kohli’s first since the birth of his second child made him miss India’s 4-1 victory over England at home earlier this year.

Kohli scored just 6 and 17.

Bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah, gave India an early advantage after they bundled out Bangladesh for 149 in their first innings.

India are looking to extend their lead at the top of the World Test Championship rankings in the new Test season of 10 matches.

Bangladesh came to Chennai fresh from a landmark series win in Pakistan. They have never beaten India in Tests.

The two teams now head to the northern Indian city of Kanpur for the second Test starting on Friday.