CHENNAI: When Najmul Shanto and Shakib Al Hasan began the fourth day of the first Test against India, one thing was clear. It all could end for Bangladesh on Sunday. Needing 357 runs to win, Bangladesh lost the remaining six wickets before lunch, losing by 280 runs. R Ashwin, who rescued India with a century in the first innings, took a six-fer.
Now, this is not to easy they crumbled in the first hour. With India operating Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj largely in the first hour, the experienced duo settled in without giving easy wickets. However, soon, the rough created by the footmarks of the pacers outside for left-hander broke down. Ravindra Jadeja was the first to keep pitch in through and getting that extra bounce, forcing Shakib to counterattack. But against Ashwin, Shakib wanted to be cautious. However, it did not work as an inside edge was caught at short leg by Yashasvi Jaiswal.
From thereon, it was just one wicket after another, with Ashwin and Jadeja doing what they do best - bowling in partnerships on a fourth day turning Indian surface. Litton Das was caught at slip off Jadeja while Mehidy Hasan was caught in the deep, trying to take on Ashwin, who took yet another fifer — 37th of his career, equalling Shane Warne — to go with the century.
Shanto, who looked set for a century, gave up and went for a rash shot against Jadeja for 82. Ashwin got the wicket of Taskin Ahmed while Jadeja wrapped things up shortly after as Bangladesh were all out for 234. Ashwin took his six wickets for 88 runs while Jadeja remain one wicket short of 300 with 3/58.
At the start of the match, the conversation was all about the long red-ball season and the India come out of the Test match happy with Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill scoring centuries, Ashwin and Jadeja showing how invaluable they are and of course, Bumrah doing Bumrah things in the first innings. Next stop, Kanpur on September 27.
