 "R Ashwin celebrates scoring his century on Day 1 of the first Test between India and Bangladesh in Chennai. AP")
All-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin (102*) and Ravindra Jadeja (86*) led India’s recovery on Day 1 of the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai on Thursday. Having been asked to bat first, India found themselves in a spot of bother at 96/4 following the wicket of Rishabh Pant in the 26th over. The hosts were further restricted to 144/6 after the dismissals of Yashasvi Jaiswal (56) and KL Rahul (16), but an unbeaten 195-run stand between Jadeja and Ashwin for the seventh wicket took India to 339/6 at stumps.
Earlier, pacer Hasan Mahmud ran through the Indian top-order, removing Rohit Sharma (6), Shubman Gill (0) and Virat Kohli (6) at regular intervals. The 24 year-old then struck again in the 26th over, getting rid of Pant, who was caught by Litton Das after playing a late cut shot.
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Quite a few milestones were achieved and records broken on the opening day of India’s 2024-25 international home season. We take a look at some of those here:
—Ravichandran Ashwin has now scored four centuries while coming out to bat at No. 8 or below in Tests. Only Daniel Vettori, former New Zealand captain, has scored more Test centuries (Five) while coming out to bat in the said batting position.
—This was Ashwin’s second Test hundred at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. He also has four five-wicket hauls in Chennai to his name, and is only the fifth player to register multiple five-fors and multiple centuries at a single venue in Tests. Sir Garfield Sobers, Kapil Dev, Chris Cairns and Sir Ian Botham are the other players to do so.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts—Ashwin equalled Kapil Dev’s record of registering most fifty-plus scores (seven 50-plus scores each) in Tests in India as a No 8 batter.
—The all-rounder from Tamil Nadu became the first-ever cricketer to clinch a total of 20 fifty-plus scores and 30 five-wicket hauls in Tests.
—Hasan Mahmud is only the second pacer from a visiting side to take four wickets on the opening day of a Test in India since 2000. Former South Africa speedster Dale Steyn had registered figures of 5/23 against India during the Ahmedabad Test in 2008.