India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja continues to reach new heights in Test cricket. Of late, he has registered a record that none of the other players have managed to achieve so far in the 147-year history of cricket. Jadeja has become the first-ever player to score 2000 plus runs and scalp over 200 wickets in a winning cause in a Test match. He achieved the feat during India’s first Test vs Bangladesh at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The next player who could equal this record of Jadeja is Ravichandran Ashwin. The star all-rounder has scored 1943 runs and taken 369 wickets in a winning cause in Test cricket.

Unless you’re a freak like Jasprit Bumrah, bowlers playing alongside Ravichandran Ashwin can be pushed behind the giant-shadow of the master off-spinner, even if it’s Jadeja, a genius in his own right.

Sometime during the Kanpur Test later this week, Jadeja, now standing at 299 wickets and 3122 runs, will join an elite club of cricketers to have achieved the grand double of 300 wickets and 3000 runs in the longest format.

Bear it in mind, only 10 players, including two from India in Ashwin and Kapil Dev, have achieved this mark in the history of cricket and some luminaries such as Gary Sobers and Jacques Kallis are missing from that list too.

But still Jadeja’s name hardly ever get mentioned in the same breath as some of the aforesaid all-rounders.

In one way, the modus operandi of Jadeja is the primary reason for it. Ashwin is eloquent and is not afraid to talk about his skills in a press meet or in his YouTube channel.

Jadeja does neither. He is quite happy to operate under the radar – like a stealth fighter jet.

But put him into a situation that demands a bail-out operation, Jadeja’s fighting instincts instantly come forth.

In that way, he is very task-oriented. Take the case of the first Test against Bangladesh, which India won by a whopping 280 runs.

From 144 for six, Jadeja and Ashwin took India to 376 all out with a 199-run stand for the seventh wicket. Jadeja made 86, but the talk centred around Ashwin’s home hundred.

Jadeja took five wickets in the match, but Ashwin ‘out-bowled’ him with six-wicket haul in the second innings.

Jadeja is an artist whose strength lies not in his artistry but in his competitive spirit.

But unfortunately, once again Jadeja’ valuable all-round effort ended up as a footnote, visible only to a discerning observer.

(With PTI Inputs)

Ravichandran Ashwin was the hero for India in the side’s 280-run victory over Bangladesh in the first Test at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday. While Ashwin came up with a crafy 113 in the only chance he got to bat, he returned figures of 6 for 88 in the final innings of the game to help India secure an easy win. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) uploaded a video on social media in which Ashwin was seen spending some quality time with his wife Prithi Narayanan and daughters Aadhya and Akhira.

“The kids want to know what do you give them for daughter’s day?” asked Prithi in the video.

“I will give them the ball I picked fifer with. Will that do?” replied Ashwin.

“No,” said one of his daughters, while another one also stood there without any clear reply.

“What do you want,” asked Ashwin.

“I don’t know,” replied the kid.

A special game calls for a special conversation @ashwinravi99‘s family in a heartwarming interaction with him post Chepauk heroics.

P.S. – Ashwin has a gift for his daughters on this #DaughtersDay.

Watch #INDvBAN | @IDFCFIRSTBank | @prithinarayanan pic.twitter.com/4rchtzemiz

— BCCI (@BCCI) September 22, 2024

India secured a commanding victory over Bangladesh to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Ashwin, a pivotal figure in India’s recent victory over Bangladesh, opened up on JioCinema about how his approach to both bowling and batting has evolved over the years in Test cricket.

“I don’t think like, ‘I want to go out there and make a hundred.’ I genuinely aim to get a five-wicket haul in every Test match,” Ashwin said.

His primary focus remains on his bowling, which has been instrumental in many of India’s Test successes. However, Ashwin has also made significant strides in his batting.

“But in recent years, my batting has become simpler than it was in the past. I used to confuse myself, overthinking as a bowler while batting, but now I keep it simple–watch the ball and react,” he explained.

This shift in mindset has helped him become a more reliable lower-order batter. The all-rounder acknowledged the difficulty of balancing both aspects of his game.

“Compartmentalizing both aspects was a challenge, but I feel like I’ve cracked it,” Ashwin stated confidently.

(With ANI Inputs)

Indian spin legend R Ashwin overtook legendary Anil Kumble to have most wickets for India in the fourth innings of a Test match on Saturday. Ashwin reached this feat during the first Test against Bangladesh at Chennai. After going wicketless in the first innings, Ashwin made it count during the final innings while defending a big total of 515 runs. At the end of day three’s play, Ashwin took three wickets for 63 runs in 15 overs, with an economy rate of 4.20. Now, in 35 innings, Ashwin has taken 96 wickets in the fourth innings of a Test at an average of 19.4 and a strike rate of over 45, with the best bowling figures of 7/59. He has taken six five-wicket hauls in fourth innings of a Test match. He has overtaken Kumble, who had 94 fourth innings wickets in total.

Ashwin has tied with West Indies legend Courtney Walsh to become eighth-highest wicket-taker in Tests. In 101 Tests, Ashwin has taken 519 wickets at an average of 23.78, with best figures of 7/59 and a total of 36 five-wicket hauls. Walsh also had taken 519 wickets in 132 Tests between 1984-2001.

Coming to the match, Bangladesh won the toss and elected to field first.

The top-order collapsed, and India was left at 34/3. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (56 in 118 balls, with nine fours) and Rishabh Pant (39 in 52 balls, with six fours) stitched a 62-run partnership for the fourth wicket, bringing India into the game. After India was reduced to 144/6, Ravichandran Ashwin (113 in 133 balls, with 11 fours and two sixes) and Ravindra Jadeja (86* in 117 balls, with 10 fours and two sixes) stitched a 199-run partnership, helping India reach 376 in 91.2 overs.

Hasan Mahmud (5/83) was the top bowler for Bangladesh, destroying the Indian top order, removing skipper Rohit Sharma (6), Shubman Gill (0), and Virat Kohli (6). Taskin Ahmed also took three wickets for 55 runs.

In their first innings, Bangladesh lost wickets regularly. Shakib Al Hasan (32), Litton Das (22) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (27*) put up a brief fight for Bangladesh, but Bumrah (4/50) and Akash Deep (2/19) broke the back of Bangladesh batting. Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja took two wickets each. Bangladesh was bundled out for 149 runs in their first inning and trailed by 227 runs.

In their second innings, India once again lost their top-order quickly and was struggling at 67/3. But centuries from Gill (119*) and Rishabh Pant (109 in 128 balls, with 13 fours and four sixes) helped them reach 287/4 before the innings was declared. Bangladesh was set a massive 515 to win.

Bangladesh started off the run-chase well, with openers Zakir Hasan (33) and Shadman Islam (35) putting up a 62-run opening stand. Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (51* in 60 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes) held the innings together as Ravichandran Ashwin (3/63) and Jasprit Bumrah (1/18) were among the wickets. At the end of day three, Bangladesh was 158/4, with skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (51*) and Shakib Al Hasan (5*) unbeaten.

After playing a 119-run knock against Bangladesh in the second inning of the first Test, star India cricketer, Shubman Gill said that it gave him a lot of “satisfaction” to score the century. On Saturday, Gill scored 119 runs from 176 balls at a strike rate of 67.61 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. He smashed 10 fours and 4 sixes during his time on the crease. The 25-year-old’s stayed unbeaten during India’s second inning until skipper Rohit Sharma declared at 287/4.

Speaking at the post-day press conference, Gill said that scoring runs against any opposition gives a batter a lot of confidence. The right-handed batter added he has been working on to score against any opposition.

“Yeah, scoring runs against any opposition gives you a lot of confidence and that’s what I have been working on. So, it gives me a lot of satisfaction,” Gill said.

When asked about his preparation against the spinners, the 25-year-old added he practiced before the series and had certain plans, which he just implemented during the match.

“Not really, I practiced before the series and had certain plans, So I think, I executed them. It’s about having a good defence and also not missing out on the opportunities that you get as a batsman to be able to score runs,” he added.

At the end of day three, Bangladesh were 158/4, with skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (51*) and Shakib Al Hasan (5*) unbeaten. Bangladesh started the post-Tea session at 56/0 with Shadman Islam (21) and Zakir Hasan (32) unbeaten on the crease.

Jasprit Bumrah struck early for India in the session, removing Zakir for 33 (47 balls). The rest three wickets were picked by Ravichandran Ashwin as he dismissed Shadman Islam (35), Mominul Haque (13), and Mushfiqur Rahim (13).

The second session of Day three of the Chennai Test resumed with India at 205/3 with Rishabh Pant (82*) and Shubman Gill (86*) unbeaten on the crease. India now have a lead of 432 runs.

Pant went on to score a century on his comeback innings in the longest format of the game. On the other hand, Gill played an unbeaten knock of 119 runs from 176 balls, which was laced with 10 boundaries and four maximums.

Middle-order batter KL Rahul also played a valuable knock of unbeaten 22 runs in 19 balls, which included four boundaries.

India declared their innings when the team score was 287 runs for the loss of four wickets. They set a target of 515 runs for the visitors in order to win the first match of the series.

India’s Jasprit Bumrah (Left) and Mohammed Siraj during Chennai Test vs Bangladesh.© JioCinema

File photo of Ravi Shastri.© X (formerly Twitter)

Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill cleansed months of hurt, anxiety and disappointments of varying nature with emotional hundreds on the third day to place India in a prime position to win the first Test against Bangladesh on Saturday. Gill (119 not out) and Pant (109) led the hosts’ run glut with an alliance of 167 for the fourth wicket that helped India, overnight 81/3, declare their second innings at 287 for 4 for an overall lead of 514. Bangladesh showed some spunk in their second innings to reach 158 for four when play was called off at 4.25 pm due to bad light. They still need a whopping 357 runs for the result to be in their favour.

Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (51) and Shakib Al-Hasan (5) were manning the crease for the visitors, and the day could have ended on a better note for them have they been a slightly more judicious in shot selection against star off-spinner R Ashwin (3/63).

But let’s forget the match situation and those dreary numbers for a while to cast a deeper look into the story of the day.

The hundreds by Pant and Gill stood as a testimony of these two fine young men’s will to rise above towering personal obstacles that would have strangled the ordinary.

Pant’s turmoil has been widely-documented after that horrifying car crash in December 2022, and the way he reacted after reaching his sixth Test hundred with a two off Shakib Al-Hasan underscored the value he attached to the knock.

Pant stood near the middle of the pitch with closed eyes, an upward tilted head and a raised bat – offering a silent prayer, perhaps, to the Lord above for returning life and cricket to him.

Gill watched the whole scene from a fair distance, as he did not want to invade into an intensely private moment of his partner.

Soon, the two brave-hearts melted into a warm embrace as Chepauk erupted.

Perhaps, the moment stood also as a tribute to Pant equalling Chennai’s very own ‘Thala’ MS Dhoni’s record for the most Test hundreds by an Indian wicketkeeper-batsman – six.

Compared to Pant’s, the struggles of Gill have been less pronounced as they were more mental than physical in nature, stemming primarily from the lack of confidence in himself in the traditional format.

However, since making that hundred against England at Visakhapatnam earlier this year, Gill seemed to have turned a corner and he further validated that journey upwards with his fifth Test hundred, fetched through a single off Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

But while Gill, beginning from overnight 33, and Pant, starting from 12, were in the office, all these feelings were hidden as it was time to enjoy the sight of them taking down Bangladesh bowlers in their contrasting methods.

The left-hander started rather sedately, looking to get his eye in before opening up.

The breakaway moment came when Pant pulled off-spinner Miraz for a four around the first drinks break of the day.

Since that point, Pant’s dismantling of Miraz became a feature of the innings as he brought up his fifty off 88 balls. Once the fifty was achieved, the 26-year-old unfurled some of those typical Pant shots.

Pant moved around the crease like a trapeze artist, and his scooped six over fine leg off Hasan Mahmud enthralled a sizeable weekend crowd here.

He was dropped on 72 by Shanto off Shakib but that was not even a deterrent. He duly completed his ton before offering a return catch to the hard-working Mehidy.

Minimalism is quintessential to Gill’s batting as he plays shots with little flourish.

The short-arm pull from in front of the face or that zero follow-through punch through the covers, which he often executed off pacers Nahid Rana and Hasan, might not be out of the batting manual but were productive nonetheless.

Gill milked a further 53 runs off 51 balls with KL Rahul for the fifth wicket to take India’s lead past 500.

However, Bangladesh, tasked with a tall chase, showed better application than in their first innings. Shanto took it upon himself to lead their fightback.

But his colleagues, particularly the set Zakir Hasan (33) and Shadman Islam (35), threw their wickets away with callous shots.

Shanto, though, was not fluttered and creamed Ashwin for three sixes, and the swept one among them earned him fifty off 56 balls as the final passage was played under floodlights because of poor light.

Pacer Jasprit Bumrah was the most successful Indian bowler on the tricky Chepauk surface as he returned with figures of 4-50 to bowl out Bangladesh for 149 in the ongoing first Test at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday. Bumrah revealed he experimented with his deliveries as his stock ones were not yielding any results on the second day of the contest. The pacer shared how he set up Mushfiqur Rahim’s dismissal when there was no assistance from the pitch.

“The ball had become a little old, there wasn’t a lot of movement, but there was some spongy bounce on the wicket. So, I was trying to assess my options because when I tried to bowl a little fuller, there wasn’t much deviation. I was just trying to think about how I could make run-scoring difficult. That’s what I focused on, and luckily, I got the outside edge,” Bumrah told JioCinema after stumps on Day 2.

Bumrah also discussed the variations he had to introduce due to the conditions. “I had no other option because when I tried to bowl a length ball, the ball wasn’t doing anything, and the ball wasn’t reversing either. So, I had to try something because, as a bowler, you have to experiment when there’s not much happening. There was no grip on the wicket, so I used one of those tactics that I’ve used in domestic cricket as well. It worked today, and that experience helped me out.”

He went on to share insights into his use of bouncers in the match, saying, “In Test cricket, I don’t usually bowl as many bouncers. Given the weather was harsh and I’m just getting back into Test cricket, I had to make adjustments. The ball had become wet because of sweat, and the seam was also wet. So, I had to use different options to get a wicket and make run-scoring difficult. These are things you learn as a lower-order batter too.”

Bumrah then revealed the conversations he had with captain Rohit Sharma regarding their tactical approach to the bowling attack for the day.

“He understands the bowlers very well. The weather was harsh, and everyone is coming back after a while – we’re playing a Test match after some time, so everyone needs to get into the groove. The chat was about short spells to make them effective. We have fast bowlers who want to bowl fast and spinners who can create an impact. When the ball is new, the seam is hard, and there is some lateral movement, so we wanted to capitalize on that,” he said.

“The plan wasn’t necessarily to bowl fuller because there was no consistent swing. Some balls swung, and some didn’t. So, we quickly adjusted angles, and I came around the wicket. But yes, with the new ball, there was some assistance, and we focused on that,” the pacer said.

India were 81/3 at stumps on the second day with a massive lead of 308 runs. Overnight batters Shubman Gill (batting 33) and Rishabh Pant (batting 12) will resume their innings on Saturday and will aim to save their wickets in the early seaming conditions in the opening session.

Earlier, Ashwin’s (113) sixth Test century along with 86 and 56 knocks by Ravindra Jadeja and Yashasvi Jaiswal respectively steered India to 376 in the first innings after being asked to bat first at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday.

Jasprit Bumrah‘s artistry seemed incomprehensible for an out of sorts Bangladesh batting line-up as India took complete control of the opening Test with an overall lead of 308 runs at end of second day’s play. Bumraj (4/50) once again worked his magic in company of Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep (2/19) and Ravindra Jadeja as Bangladesh were all-out for a paltry 149 in their first innings in reply to India’s 376. With a lead of 227 runs, India ended second at 81 for 3 with Shubman Gill (33 batting) and Rishabh Pant (12 batting) at the crease.

The rest of the six Bangladesh wickets were equally shared by rookie Akash Deep (2/19), seasoned Ravindra Jadeja (2/19) and Mohammed Siraj (2/30).

However, the beginning of India’s second innings was not really bright as they lost skipper Rohit Sharma (5) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (10) with 28 on board.

Rohit was forced to play a slightly short of the length delivery from Taskin Ahmed, and the resultant edge ended with Zakir Hasan at gully.

Jaiswal was guilty of succumbing to the temptation of going for an expansive drive after pacer Nahid Rana pitched one full following up on a few short-pitched deliveries.

But the 28 for two was not really alarming considering the substantial first innings lead India had amassed by then. However, they needed immediate consolidation to further tighten the grip.

Gill provided that in the company of Virat Kohli (17, 37 balls) for the third wicket while adding 39 runs.

Gill played some delectable shots either side of the pitch, generating immense power and timing from his typical minimum-follow through of the bat method.

A short-arm jab through covers off Rana for boundary was the standout shot from the right-hander on the day. But the Kohli’s dismissal, leg before to spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz, late on the day slightly soured the proceedings for India.

However, on a day when a total of 17 wickets fell, Bumrah, as usual, was the lead performer.

The quick slipped into his elements straightway and fetched India the first breakthrough dismissing in-form Shadman Islam, who shouldered arms to an in-cutter with disastrous consequences.

It was a dismissal where Bumrah set up Shadman with a few deliveries round the wicket (for the southpaw) and then came over the wicket to keep the length intact but subtly changing the line of attack.

That indecisiveness was the hallmark of the rest of the Bangladesh innings, as Bumrah added the wickets of Mushfiqur Rahim, Taskin and Hasan Mahmud to his collection.

Centurion Ravichandran Ashwin endured a rare wicketless innings but others stepped in for him, and Bangladesh too contributed with their timorous approach.

It was reflected in the dismissals of Litton Das (22, 42 balls) and the vastly experienced Shakib Al-Hasan (32, 64 balls).

They were looking comfortable in the middle during the course of their 51-run (94 balls) alliance for the sixth wicket.

But Litton chose to play a rather needless uppish slog sweep off Jadeja that was grabbed by substitute fielder Dhruv Jurel, who came in for pacer Mohammed Siraj. Siraj had left the field for a few overs to tend to cramps.

Shakib’s dismissal was even more bizarre. The left-hander went for a reverse sweep off a Jadeja full delivery and the ball took a deflection off his boots en route to the big gloves of Rishabh Pant.

Pacer Akash chipped in with two wickets in as many balls to oust Zakir and Mominul Haq which hastened Bangladesh’s downfall.

Before they collapsed in a heap, Bangladesh had a few moments of delight as they managed to price out the last four Indian wickets, including Ashwin (113) and Jadeja (86), to put a quick end to the hosts’ first dig.

Ashwin and Jadeja departed after adding 199 runs, which came off 240 balls and 189 minutes, across three sessions. Taskin (3/55) bowled better lines and returned with the wickets of Ashwin, Jadeja and Akash.

Fellow pacer Hasan Mahmud added a fifth wicket to his kitty in the form of Bumrah to bring curtains to the Indian innings. It was Mahmud’s second successive fifer after bagging one against Pakistan at Rawalpindi earlier this month.