R. Ashwin bowling action during the match between India vs Bangladesh IDFC first Test match at Chepauk Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: R. Ragu

With the indulgent dexterity of tucking into a Sunday morning brunch, India dismantled Bangladesh in the first Test at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. On the fourth day, the lone point of interest was centred around how long the visitor would resist a seemingly inevitable defeat.

That question was answered well before the crockery was set for lunch as India needed a mere 24.5 overs to pocket the remaining six wickets. The target of 515 remained unsurmountable and Najmul Hossain Shanto’s men were bowled out for 234 in the second innings while the host won by 280 runs.

The penultimate day with its foregone conclusion still drew in the crowds as 15,365 fans trooped into the venue. Resuming at the overnight 158 for four, Bangladesh remained unscathed till the first drinks break as Najmul and Shakib Al Hasan hung in. The latter drove Mohammed Siraj for four and the seamer kept testing Najmul with angled deliveries and sharp words.

Soon it proved to be the proverbial lull before the storm, and one initiated by the slow art of annihilation practised by R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. At one point, Shakib charged at Jadeja, missed the line and Rishabh Pant failed to effect a stumping. On 17 then, Shakib did not last long as Ashwin drew an edge that Yashasvi Jaiswal caught well in the close-in cordon.

Placed at 194 for five, Bangladesh added 40 runs while the wickets kept tumbling. Litton Das feathered Jadeja straight to an exultant Rohit Sharma at first slip. Mehidy Hasan Miraz gave the charge to Ashwin and found Jadeja waiting in the deep. And from the other end, skipper Najmul watched in dismay.

Having played some lovely strokes besides remaining patient, the batter (82) then tried to loft one off Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah scrambled to pouch a good catch. The tail wilted immediately with some wild swipes and Man-of-the-Match Ashwin bagged a six-for.

These wickets in tandem with his remarkable first innings ton, made this Chepauk encounter yet another special outing at home for the local boy. A few waves to the stands were Ashwin’s way of expressing gratitude in what may be his last Test in his backyard.

India leads the two-match series at 1-0 with the second and final Test commencing at Kanpur on September 27. Bangladesh came in with a 2-0 Test series triumph in Pakistan but taking on India in its backyard is never easy. Over the last few decades, many pedigreed squads have learnt it the hard way and now it was time for the eastern neighbour to imbibe some tough lessons.

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto speaks during a press conference ahead of the first cricket test match between India and Bangladesh, in Chennai, on September 18, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto felt that as players gain experience, they can control their emotions better, and not let the moment overwhelm them.

“I think it’s because many players have been playing for 10-15 years, and they have the experience. That’s why (we) don’t get emotional,” said Shanto.

“We are thinking about our game and not what will happen if we lose or win. We are just trying to give 100% every single match. That’s why we look calm and follow every plan.”

Riding high after the historic series win in Pakistan, Shanto said his team would take the confidence from that victory but doesn’t want to focus too much on the outcome.

Despite R. Ashwin’s terrific record against left-handers and Bangladesh having four southpaws in the top-four, Shanto felt there was no need to tinker with the batting order to counter the ace off-spinner.

“Our set-up is in a good condition. Mushfiqur (Rahim) has been batting in this position (lower-order) for a long time. The top-four batters are doing well, and I do not think there is a need to change,” the 26-year-old explained.

Shanto said his team had a good bowling attack and backed his boys to adapt to any challenges thrown at them. “We have a very experienced spin-bowling attack. In the last couple of years, we have had very good pacers as well. I know they are not that experienced, but they are capable of doing it.”

India’s Jasprit Bumrah participates in a training session ahead of their first test match between India and Bangladesh in Chennai. File.
| Photo Credit: AP

India head coach Gautam Gambhir hailed Jasprit Bumrah as the best pacer in international cricket across formats and was happy that bowlers are getting the spotlight they deserve.

“Bumrah is the best fast bowler in the world in all three formats. And it’s [not] just his performance. It’s his hunger as well. The best part is that he wants to play as much Test cricket as he can, and there is no doubt about that,” said Gambhir when asked if the speedster is the most valuable player in the team.

“What he has done in the T20 format in the West Indies is comparable to what he can do in red-ball cricket (like) against England. I think it’s an honour to have someone like Bumrah playing for us and sitting in that dressing room. He can make a difference at any stage of the game. So yes, hopefully, we can do the same in this series and going forward as well,” he added.

“It has not happened often in India where we talk about bowlers. India, at one stage, was a batter-obsessed nation. You’ve got to give credit to Bumrah, (Mohammed) Shami, (Mohammed) Siraj, Ashwin and (Ravindra) Jadeja, that we have started talking about the bowlers.”

The former India cricketer also batted away the notion that his side could take any opposition lightly on the eve of the first Test against Bangladesh.

“I have been a huge believer that we fear no one but respect everyone. And we don’t take any opposition lightly,” remarked Gambhir.

“That is what international cricket is all about. We respect Bangladesh, and we will always respect any opposition. But we have to go out there and play the brand of cricket that we want to play. We have got to try and give everything possible on the cricket field because that is what champion sides do. They don’t look at the opposition. They try to control the game. They try to play the way they want to play the game.”

The Indian Premier League’s adrenaline surge and the historic ICC T20 World Cup triumph infused energy into the nation’s leading cricketers over the last few months and now it is time to embrace Test cricket’s slow-burn intensity.

Searing heat

A searing heat has descended upon this southern metropolis but for once Chennaiites would prefer excess warmth over afternoon showers as India takes on Bangladesh in the opening Test of the two-match series at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here from Thursday.

Rohit Sharma’s men last played a Test against England at Dharamshala in March and then merrily tumbled into limited-overs cricket.

A playing style reset is essential as Tests featuring Bangladesh, New Zealand and Australia await.

These games, all part of the World Test Championship which India currently leads, are critical encounters.

New era

The imminent clashes will also mark the arrival of coach Gautam Gambhir’s era. The former India opener may have whetted his appetite as leading mentor during the ODIs in Sri Lanka, but Tests are the real deal.

Stepping into Rahul Dravid’s boots, Gambhir has to steer a squad in transition towards higher glory.

India, playing in its backyard, will step out as the favourite but Bangladesh, having defeated Pakistan 2-0 in the recent Test series at Rawalpindi, is keen to prove a point against the big brother.

Be it independence in 1971 or a Test debut in 2000, on both occasions, Bangladesh found India lending a massive hand. Still the urge to prove that it is in no way inferior to its larger neighbour, will lend impetus to the visitor. While Dhaka recovers from a political churn, Najmul Hossain Shanto’s men continue to be invested with the role of being dispensers of hope.

Rawalpindi was part of that bouquet but Chennai now and Kanpur next may not be easy.

While India is mostly about the return of the native thanks to Rishabh Pant’s remarkable comeback from a life-threatening accident, the same theme is obvious through Virat Kohli too, who took a paternity break and missed the series against England. K.L. Rahul is back in the mix as well and Rohit now has an experienced core to fall back upon.

Appropriate resources

Be it Jasprit Bumrah as the spearhead or home boy R. Ashwin helming the spin department, the Indian skipper has appropriate resources on a surface expected to keep both the fast and slow purveyors in play.

For Bangladesh, a glimpse of the Bay of Bengal while touching down, and the fact that 10 minutes away from the venue is Greams Road with its distinctive Bengali vibe, could duplicate a sense of home. Yet, having never vanquished India in a Test while being the odd banana peel in ODIs especially during the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean, the Tigers are contending with a formidable opposition.

Veterans

In Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan, there are two veterans who know what it is to surprise India, Bangladesh needs the others too like Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taskin Ahmed to imbibe that spirit.

The teams (from):

India: Rohit Sharma (Capt.), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, K.L. Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), R. Ashwin, R. Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep and Yash Dayal.

Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (Capt.), Litton Das, Jaker Ali, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Hasan Mahmud, Khaled Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Nayeem Hasan, Taijul Islam and Taskin Ahmed.

Umpires: Rod Tucker and Richard Kettleborough; Third umpire: Christopher Brown; Match referee: Jeff Crowe.

Play starts at 9.30 a.m.