Chennai: After a top order wobble, a flamboyant century by Ravichandran Ashwin and an equally impressive half century by left hander Ravindra Jadeja, put India in a strong position at close on the opening day of the first cricket test against Bangladesh at the M A Chidambaram stadium here on Thursday.
When the stumps were drawn, thanks to Ashwin's unbeaten 102 (112 balls, 10x4, 2x6) and Jadeja's unconquered 86 (117 balls, 10x4, 2x6) and their massive unbroken 195 run seventh wicket stand in 37.4 overs helped India score a dominant 339 for six in 80 overs, after tottering at 144 for six at one stage.
After a crafty half century by opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (56) and his key stand with Rishab Pant helped India recover from early blues, before the two all rounders, Ashwin and Jadeja feasted on the Bangladeshi bowlers, scoring at more than five runs an over in the productive final session to end the day on a high.
BCCI in a post on X lauded Ashwin. "A stellar TON when the going got tough!. A round of applause for Chennai's very own - @ashwinravi99".
It was a perfect day for the Chennai duo-- son of the soil Ashwin and CSK star Jadeja as they not only pulled India out of the trouble, but ensured it ended the day with a healthy score.
The first two sessions saw 88 runs and 3 wickets each, but upped the ante as India scored 163 runs in 32 overs without losing a wicket in the final session.
Ashwin was the one who changed the tempo, attacking every ball he saw fit, which was almost every other ball at one point. His back-foot punches were crisp, he got going with boundaries through point and cover but went straight and opened up the leg side as the innings progressed. Jadeja was solid at the other end and provided admirable support to Ashwin.
Bangladesh mostly used the pacers, who bowled 50 overs, while the spinners bowled just 30 overs on the day.
Earlier, asked to bat first on a pitch that offered bounce and seam movement, the Indian top order was rattled by some hostile pace bowling by Hasan Mahmud.
India lost three wickets for just 34 runs in 9.2 overs within the first hour. Hasan bagged all the three wickets that of skipper Rohit Sharma (6), Shubman Gill (0) and Virat Kohli (6).
After the top order wobble, the two left handers, opener Yashasvi Jaisal and Rishab Pant, back into the team after nearly 20 months after a car accident, steadied the innings adding 62 runs for the fourth wicket in 16.1 overs.
However, Mahmud came back for his second spell and claimed his fourth wicket. He struck immediately after lunch removing Pant (39, 52 balls, 6x4) who tried to cut and edged to wicket keeper Littton Das for his third catch.
Pant was timing the ball well when he fell against the run of play.
However, Jaiswal held the innings at one end and reached his half century in the company of another come back man K L Rahul (16, 52 balls 1x4).
After the duo added 48 runs for the fifth wicket in 16.1 overs, the loss of two wickets in four balls put the Indian innings in a spot of bother.
Both Jaiswal (56, 118 balls, 9x4) and Rahul fell at the same score as India struggled at 144 for six in 42.2 overs, before Ravindra Jadeja and Ashwin resurrected the innings.
Though the pitch played true and offered help both to the seamers and the spinners, who extracted turn and bounce, both of them applied themselves to the task to bail out the innings.
Both of them played some exquisite shots and slog swept the spinners as runs came at a brisk pace as they scored at more than five runs per over, after settling into their groove.
Ashwin quickly reached his half century and in the company of Jadeja raised the 100 run stand for the seventh wicket in just 19.1 overs.
Jadeja too joined the bandwagon reaching his half century as the partnership blossomed, undeterred by the hot and humid conditions.
Except for Mahmud, none of the bowlers failed to make any impact as Ashwin and Jadeja consolidated the innings to put India in a strong position.
India reached 300 in style when Ashwin hoisted Mehidy Hasan Miraz over the deep midwicket for his second six in the 73rd over. He moved into the 90s with his tenth four and closed on his sixth century, which he achieved in just 108 balls with a single of left arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan.
Jadeja too was closing on his fifth hundred when the stumps were drawn after an extended final session as Bangladesh fell behind the over rate.
Following is the scoreboard :
India (first innings) :
Yashasvi Jaiswal c Shadam Islam b Nahid Rana 56
Rohit Sharma c Najmul Hossain Shanto b Hasan Mahmud 6
Shubman Gill c Litton Das b Hasan Mahmud 0
Virat Kohli c Litton Das b Hasan Mahmud 6
Rishab Pant c Litton Das b Hasan Mahmud 39
K L Rahul c Zakir Hasan b Mehidy Hasan Miraz 16
Ravindra Jadeja (batting) 86
R.Ashwin (batting) 102
Extras : (b-18, lb-5, nb-4, w-1) 28
Total : 339 for six in 80 overs.
Fall of wickets : 1-14, 2-28, 3-34, 4-96, 5-144, 6-144