Ravichandran Ashwin: The champion of Chennai

Magical Ashwin bags six, Jadeja snares three as India thump Bangladesh by 280 runs
CHENNAI: In a few years' time, when we will look back at the India vs Bangladesh Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in the September of 2024, we will remember it as the 'Ashwin Test'.

From the second session of the first day to the time when India wrapped it up in the first session of Day 4, it was Ashwin all the way. A century on Day 1, his 37th five-wicket haul to equal Shane Warne, another Man of the Match award, his father, wife, kids, former coaches and many friends in the galleries, the stage might have been incredibly tempting for the 38-year-old to announce that it was his last at his beloved home ground.

He didn't. "Who knows if this was my Chepauk swansong in Tests? But if it was, what a swansong it was," Ashwin left it open-ended, soaking in all the adulation after another match-winning spell of 6-88 as India won the Test by 280 runs to go 1-0 up. When the fourth day started, the result of the Test was never in doubt. The challenge for India was to wrap it up as early as possible before the team leaves for Kanpur in the search of the second of their four wins that will book them a World Test Championship Final berth.

One felt that on a tired pitch here on Day 4, captain Rohit Sharma might bring Ashwin and his spin twin Ravindra Jadeja into action right from the start. But he waited, allowed the effect of the roller to wear off, and let the Bangladeshi batters Najmul Hossain Shanto and Shakib Al Hasan get used to the pace of the quick bowlers.

Just when it seemed the two lefthanders might just stretch the game a bit, Ashwin and Jadeja were brought in. Ashwin, coming in from round the wicket and bowling with a 5-4 offside field to the left-hander, chose to take the middle-stump line rather than off. It took the cut and the reverse sweep out of the equation and the master offie was looking to bowl a little slow through the air, to get maximum purchase out of a pitch which hadn't shaped up into a vicious turner.

The skill of the bowler had to come into play and that's exactly what happened when Ashwin induced an inside-edge off Shakib's bat and the forward short-leg fielder completed a good catch diving to his left.

That was the beginning of the end as Ashwin and Jadeja looked more and more dangerous. Litton Das, a super success in Pakistan recently for Bangladesh, didn't have the quality to deal with the spin duo and Jadeja (3 58) sent him back.

The ball pitched on the middle and turned just a little bit and the edge was a regulation at slip. At this point, the only point of interest was whether Bangladesh captain Shanto (82) could complete his century. But with wickets falling at the other end, the left-hander who had batted with a lot of belief till then, tried a big shot against Jadeja and gave his wicket away.

Jadeja, though, was made to wait for his milestone 300th wicket, stopping at 299, when he had the last man Hasan Mahmud bowled 15 minutes before lunch. In a way, it was fitting as well, because Jadeja was equally instrumental in this win, scoring 86 with Ashwin, taking the two big wickets in the first innings, and now, finishing things off in a hurry, the way he has been doing on Indian soil over the years.

"Jadeja is such an inspirational story…My admiration for Jadeja keeps on increasing as I realize I will never be able to beat him," Ashwin paid his comrade the ultimate compliment as India truly looked like a happy family.

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