The first day of Test match between the two sides India and Bangladesh is in progress at the venue of M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Just early on, there was an interesting cricket for the match when Indian batting lineup showed some defiance and getting important contributions from lower middle order Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
Key Performers – India
| Batsman | Score | Balls Faced | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 108* | 108 | 100 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 50* | 101 | 49.50 |
Bangladesh Win the Toss
The host Bangladesh made the right decision by winning the toss and they chose to field first.
The plan was to cash in on those early dismissals especially with the new ball. Bangladesh initially seemed to do everything right as it takes normal wickets, but India’s middle order has helped keep things in a good place at stumps.
Related Article : India To Face Bangladesh In Test Series, Rohit Sharma Nears Two Big Cricket Records
Pluses of Day 1
India’s Early Struggles
Image Credit: Economics Times
The Bangladesh bowlers put early pressure on India’s top order, as the openers are never given a free pass. Shubman Gill departed early, which put responsiblity.
The India’s top order but Bangladesh bowlers especially Taskin Ahmed stayed very close to the corss and didn’t allow the set platform.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli also provided some sensation while trying to consolidate but they did not turn the match into their favor as they were expected to.
India was three wickets down at lunch time and the middle order batsmen had this responsibility of once again to consolidate the Indian innings.
Bangladesh’s Spinners
Bangladesh started their spinners early, and it paid off as Mehidy Hasan Miraz came back very well to pick crucial wickets.
He got the wicket of Rohit Sharma for 45 with a smart delivery that spun sharply in. Kohli also fell to Mehidy after a fluent 38 and India found themselves struggling at 130/5 by the middle session.
Jadeja and Ashwin’s Partnership
The most innovative couple of hours at the cricket pitch came with Ashwin and Jadeja putting together an unbeaten stand at a time when India was in deep trouble at 195 for 6, taking India to 339/6 in the opening day adding a whooping 195 runs to the scoreboard.
- Ravichandran Ashwin’s Century: Ashwin showed the class and his long built experience to celebrate his sixth Test hundred in 108 balls only. His knock was replete with crisp drives and intelligent shot selection.
- Ravindra Jadeja’s 50: Jadeja played like his old self, mixing and combining defense with attacking shots. He got to his half-century off a boundary but ensured that the runs kept flowing even as Bangladesh tried to get at the Indian batting lineup with spin from both ends.
Their stand frustrated not just the Bangladeshi bowlers but also helped India cross the 300-run barrier and put the hosts in a commanding position by the end of the day.
Bangladesh’s Bowling
The Bangladesh bowlers were a mixed bag. They were brilliant to strike so many early wickets, but then they couldn’t hang on to the pressure once Ashwin and Jadeja began to steady.
- Taskin Ahmed: Among the Bangladeshi bowlers the best was Taskin Ahmed since he normally troubled the Indians by varying his speed and line of the deliveries. Taskin also had long hopping spells, much needed and got the wickets of Shreyas Iyer who returned for 21.
- Mehidy Hasan Miraz: Mehidy was the standout among the bowler’s selection of Bangladesh. He took 3 wickets and more importantly those were the top wickets of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
- . He could extract turn and bounce at regular intervals, making him a constant threat, but what played into his team’s pocket in the last session would be Ashwin and Jadeja.
- Nahid Rana: The young fast bowler, who was great with the swing from his seam, did not have the consistency to keep the Indian batsmen under pressure very often. He managed to dismiss Suryakumar Yadav, but his over was leaking runs sometimes.
Day 2 Story
India must look now to build on this good platform and try to get their first-innings total near 400. With two experienced batsmen at the crease, India has a great opportunity to put Bangladesh under pressure.
Bangladesh must hope to look to break this partnership early on Day 2 and look to take India’s innings as soon as possible.
The pitch is starting to reflect the first shadows of a turn. Bangladesh’s men in whites will have much to play for in the final couple of sessions. If they can get through India’s tail, they’ll give their batsmen a chance to respond on this difficult track.
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References
Spotstars.com
Hindustan Times.com
