Sachin Tendulkar hails Ashwin and Jadeja for the turnaround against Bangladesh at Chepauk

India, with Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin partnering for the 7th wicket, staged a miraculous recovery on Day 1 of the first India vs Bangladesh Test. Bangladesh chose to bowl first after winning the toss at Chepauk on Thursday. The team, led by Hasan Mahmud, delivered an impressive performance with the ball against the hosts. India lost captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill, all inside the first session, departing for abysmal scores of 6, 6, and a duck, respectively. Eventually, Bangladesh reduced India to 144 for six before Ravichandran Ashwin entered the crease. The 38-year-old all-rounder, along with Ravindra Jadeja, rescued the match from Bangladesh’s grip, recording a sensational ton in Chennai.

Sachin Tendulkar lauds Ashwin and Jadeja for their impressive partnership against Bangladesh

Under overcast conditions and the seam-friendly nature of the Chepauk track in Chennai, Hasan Mahmud rattled the Indian batting lineup, dismissing Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli for just 12 runs within the first hour of the game. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant attempted to steady the innings with a fifty-run partnership; however, both were sent back shortly after by Nahid Rana and Hasan. KL Rahul, as expected at this point, also fell quickly, leaving India in deep trouble on the opening day of the Test.

However, India's star performers in Tests, the spin all-rounder duo Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, turned the match in India’s favor. Batting together for the seventh wicket, Ashwin and Jadeja built a 195-run partnership. Ashwin struck 10 fours and 2 sixes to achieve his second consecutive Test century at Chepauk. At stumps on Day 1, Ashwin remained unbeaten on 102 (112), and Jadeja was still at the crease with a score of 86 off 117.

Despite India being in a precarious situation, Ashwin and Jadeja batted effortlessly, scoring at a brisk pace. Ashwin maintained a strike rate of 91.07 as he cruised to his century. Jadeja, meanwhile, slowed down towards the end of the day, but this hardly affected his knock, which complemented Ashwin’s ton seamlessly. Playing against Bangladesh, Ashwin reached his sixth Test century. Interestingly, the lower-order batter has now equaled former Indian skipper MS Dhoni in career centuries.

The ton against Bangladesh on Friday was also Ashwin's second century at home and the fastest of his career, achieved in just 108 balls. The knock propelled Ashwin into the league of Indian great Sachin Tendulkar. With the century at Chepauk, Ashwin matched Tendulkar’s record of hitting back-to-back centuries. The all-rounder had earlier scored his maiden century at the MA Chidambaram Stadium during the second Test against England in 2021. Tendulkar, on the other hand, holds the unique record of scoring three centuries in Chennai, with knocks of 155* against Australia in 1998, 136 against Pakistan in 1999, and 126 against Australia in 2001.

The impressive batting by Ashwin and Jadeja earned praise from Sachin Tendulkar himself. The former Indian batter took to Twitter to commend the spin all-rounders. Tendulkar termed their knock "invaluable" as he acknowledged the turnaround scripted by the duo for India against Bangladesh.

“From despair to domination! @ashwinravi99 and @imjadeja's knocks have turned the tide for India once again. This all-round brilliance is invaluable. Super partnership boys,” wrote Sachin Tendulkar on his social media handle.

From despair to domination! @ashwinravi99 and @imjadeja's knocks have turned the tide for India once again. This all-round brilliance is invaluable.
Super partnership boys. 👏🏼#INDvBAN pic.twitter.com/eZNW6yOr8V

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) September 19, 2024