IND vs BAN: Jaiswal says fighting half-century on Day 1 at Chepauk a learning experience, will 'make him strong'

Before Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja’s rescue act later on Day 1, India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal thwarted the Bangladeshi pacers who were off to a red-hot start in the first Test with a dogged 56.

The southpaw, who helped India recover from an early collapse by stitching a 62-run fourth-wicket partnership with Rishabh Pant (39), later said such experiences would make him a stronger, all-weather batter for Team India in the future.

India were reduced to 34/3 after Hasan Mahmud removed both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli on identical scores of 6 and Shubman Gill for a duck. After the pacer dismissed Pant on the other side of the lunch interval, Jaiswal added 48 for the fifth wicket with KL Rahul (16).

“It was amazing to go out there and play in these conditions. It will make me strong and I will learn from it as to how to play in all these conditions and how to plan my innings,” Jaiswal told reporters in the post-day press meet.

Read | Ashwin, Jadeja tweak balance of the game on a wicket that’s a throwback to the Chepauk of old

“I try to bat according to the requirements of my team and keep changing my game accordingly. If the wicket falls initially, how can I bat? When the runs are coming, how can I bat?,” he added.

Jaiswal conceded that there was some help for the bowlers in the first couple of sessions, warranting a cautious approach from the Indian batters.

“Initially, I think the ball was moving a bit and seaming a bit and the wicket was a bit down. So, we took our time. But if you see in the last session, we scored quite well and I think we are in a good position at the moment,” he said.

The 22-year-old said he and Pant were waiting for loose balls to score runs as the Bangladesh bowlers were having an upper hand at that juncture.

“I think the wicket was a bit helpful initially and if you look at the weather, it was a bit cloudy. But we were trying to go through that period by playing safe.”

Jaiswal said Mahmud, who grabbed four wickets, stuck to good lines and they were trying to use feet well against the pacer.

Read | Who is Hasan Mahmud, the Bangladesh pacer troubling India on Day 1?

“I think he definitely bowled well but, at times, he also gave loose balls on which we scored runs. We were just talking about how we can use our feet.

“We were trying to see if there is a loose ball to score runs and was looking to make a partnership and play as long as we can,” he said.

With PTI inputs