IND VS BAN TESTS

Right then, this wraps up the first Test which was immersive, engaging and progressed at a really good pace. A lot of landmarks were achieved here and there as well. Yes, India played better cricket than their counterparts and are the deserved winners. But, moving to the second Test, they would like to address some pertaining issues regarding the top order inconsistencies. Bangladesh, on the other hand, after their successful stint in Pakistan, did show some promise here as well, but only in patches. They have a few positives as well to carry forward and would like to go back to the drawing board to assess where things went wrong. The teams will now head north to Kanpur where the action will unfold for the second and the final Test at the Green Park Stadium. With almost 5 days of break from now, that game will begin on September 27, Friday and the first ball will be bowled at 4 am GMT! Will India execute a clean sweep? Or will Bangladesh find an equalizer? Only time will tell. Until then, take care and cheers!

Ravichandran Ashwin is the Player of the Match for his stunning ton in the first innings and then his six-wicket haul in the final innings. His 10th Player of the Match Award. He starts by joking about the number of MOMs received in Test matches and the broadcaster reminds him that he now has 10 to his name. Goes on to say that whenever he plays in front of the Chennai crowd, it is a special feeling for him and he used to watch a lot of matches in this stands himself. Adds that it was an opportunity for him to dig in deep with the bat and goes on to applaud Jadeja's batting as well. Mentions that he makes a living by bowling and that always comes first but batting is also something that comes naturally and he has tried to compartmentalize both in the last few years.

Rohit Sharma, the captain of India says that it is a great result with what lies ahead of them. Says they have been playing Test cricket for a while and it was just about getting together as a group. About the positives, he says Pant has gone through reall tough times and the way he has managed himself through these times, it is really impressive. He was part of the Indian T20 League and was also part of the successful World Cup campaign. Further tells that he loves playing this format of cricket and he always want to contribute with the bat and gloves. He has played Duleep Trophy and prepared himself well and he is happy to see him back in the side. Adds that it does not matter what the conditions are, they need to be ready for it. Continues, that wherever they have traveled in the last few years, they have tried to do well and credit the boys for rising on the opportunities. On the pitch, he says it was a good red soil track and all they needed was to show patience while batting and bowling. On being asked about Ashwin, he says he has been always there to the rescue, and also says that even when Ashwin is not playing cricket, he just keeps learning.

Najmul Hossain Shanto, the captain of Bangladesh says that there were positives to begin with and how the pacers bowled on Day 1 but admits that India then batted really well. Adds that the way they bowled with the new ball and that too for the second series running as well. He says that he enjoys his batting and looks to contribute as much as possible. Adds that they wanted to bat as long as possible on Day 4 without thinking much about the outcome. Reckons that the next match is important and he looks forward to it.

... The Presentation Ceremony ...

Rishabh Pant is down for a quick chat. He says that it was a very special knock for him as he loves playing in Chennai and it was his first Test since coming back. Adds that it was emotional for him as he wanted to do well after coming back but the win gives him more pleasure than anything else. Mentions that in the first innings, he tries to read the situation in his own way and at that time, they needed a partnership which he looked to build.

India's bowlers entered the fray with clear intent, yet breakthroughs proved frustratingly elusive. Bumrah and Siraj, bowling with heart and precision, peppered the batters with testing deliveries. Rohit Sharma turned to Jadeja in search of a breakthrough but to no avail. The pitch offered visible rough patches, providing grip, turn, and bounce, and the spin twins were summoned. Bangladesh's resilience was dashed away the moment Ashwin and Jadeja were introduced into the attack. Ashwin got the better of Shakib and opened the gates for India with a spectacular 5-fer. The spin tandem did the damage and it was Ashwin who ended up with a spectacular 6-wicket haul while Jadeja took three of his own to sail India to the victory.

Regardless of how well one bats, pursuing a mammoth target of 515 in Test cricket presents a lot of challenges. Chief among these is the test of patience - a quality that often fluctuates throughout such a daunting task. Shakib, mostly patient couldn't extend his inning further and as they say, one brings two, it was indeed a procession of wickets then. Bangladesh slipped from 194/4 to being all out in the second half of the first session. Skipper Shanto though, remained glued at the crease and was the only lone warrior looking unfazed at one end but he too, fell under pressure and felt shy of his well-deserved century.

Coming into Day 4, it was pretty much the writing on the wall. The only remaining question was how long Bangladesh could hold out and prolong their time at the crease. Overnight batters Najmul Hossain Shanto and Shakib Al Hasan showcased remarkable resilience, holding their ground for the first hour of play. They treated spectators to some elegant drives early on, though their scoring rate remained cautious as they scored 36 runs in the first hour.

Enter Bumrah, India's bowling trump card. He did what he does best - provided the breakthrough just when India needed it most. And as the pitch began to show its age, Rohit wasted no time in unleashing his spin wizard, Ravichandran Ashwin. True to form and using his vast experience of playing in Chennai, Ashwin delivered, and trapped three batters in a very quick succession. Absolutely contrasting to the second day where 17 whopping wickets tumbled, we saw only 5 wickets on the third day, even with the pitch tiring and slowing out.

Facing this daunting target, Bangladesh started contrastingly well than the first inning. Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam put on an impressive and spirited 62-run partnership, giving their team a slight glimmer of hope. However, the joy was short-lived as wickets began to fall. Despite the setbacks though, Bangladesh maintained a good scoring rate, trying to resist in the face of adversity.

India, sitting on a massive lead, opted to bat again instead of enforcing the follow-on. Their top order faltered once more, but Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant stepped up brilliantly. Both notched up their respective centuries, and put India firmly in control. Pant, who returned to Test cricket after more than 700 days, joined the elite list as the fourth quickest wicket-keeper batter to score 6 Test hundreds. Rohit declared with a 514-run lead, earlier than expected, surprising many who thought India would bat through the third day.

When it was Bangladesh's turn to bat, they looked clueless. A few guys got starts, but couldn’t convert. It were only Shakib and Mehidy Hasan who made any real impact, but that wasn’t enough to chase 376. India's bowlers, led by the ever-impressive Bumrah, were just too hot to handle. Before you could blink, Bangladesh was all out for a measly 149.

Day two was when things got really wild. You'd think Chennai in summer would be a batter’s paradise, but nope! Seventeen wickets in one day - that's like a whole team and then some! The seamers were having a field day, grabbing 14 of those wickets. Bangladesh's Hasan Mahmud was on fire with a five-wicket haul, while the spinners didn’t get any grip.

So, this Test match? It was a real rollercoaster ride. India were invited to bat first, and it wasn't pretty. The big guns - Rohit, Gill, and Kohli - all fell flat against Bangladesh's pace attack. India was six down and hadn't even hit 150. But here's where it gets interesting - young Jaiswal was out there, cool as a cucumber, while everyone else was losing their heads. Jaiswal found his groove and constructed a stand with Pant, then with KL Rahul. But the real show-stealers? Ashwin and Jadeja. These two came in and turned the game on its head with a massive 199-run partnership. By the end of day one, India had gone from zeros to heroes.

The writing was on the wall and a clinical bowling display from the Indian spinners to do the clean-up work in the end. This is the most comprehensive victory for India against Bangladesh in terms of runs, a staggering margin of 280. India takes the lead by 1-0 in this two-Test match series. For Bangladesh, they had their moments and played decent cricket, but in patches and couldn't capitalize much on those under the difficult conditions of Chennai.

OUT! TIMBER! That's it, Ravindra Jadeja has cleaned up Hasan Mahmud and India have won the first Test. The arm ball from Jadeja, fired in on off stump and this one darts back in quickly. Hasan Mahmud sits down to sweep it away but leaves a huge gap and misses his shot as well. The ball shatters into the stumps as Jadeja picks up his third wicket of the innings and India have beaten Bangladesh here by 280 runs!

OUT! TIMBER! That's it, Ravindra Jadeja has cleaned up Hasan Mahmud and India have won the first Test. The arm ball from Jadeja, fired in on off stump and this one darts back in quickly. Hasan Mahmud sits down to sweep it away but leaves a huge gap and misses his shot as well. The ball shatters into the stumps as Jadeja picks up his third wicket of the innings and India have beaten Bangladesh here by 280 runs!