On the fourth morning in Chennai, R Ashwin achieved his fourth century and five-for in the same Test, and his second in consecutive Tests in Chepauk, to give India a 1-0 series lead over Bangladesh. Najmul Hossain Shanto, the captain of Bangladesh, avoided being hit by the hard bowling and played a wicketless first hour alongside Shakib Al Hasan.
However, in the second hour, Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja overcame the opposition. Ashwin tied the legendary Shane Warne with his 37th five-wicket haul, only surpassed by Muthiah Muralidaran’s 67.
India was denied early in the day despite needing six wickets to win. Despite being wicketless, Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah played impressive sessions during the opening hour. Siraj, in particular, bowled for the entire hour, consistently moving past Shanto’s bat and attempting to speak with him verbally, but Shanto resisted. Despite having a knock on his fingers, Shakib was able to keep Shanto company.
However, shortly after the game, Chennai Super King Jadeja and his kid Ashwin got together to remind everyone of how Bangladesh was defeated by their batting combination on the first day of play.
Shakib played down the wrong line in Ashwin’s opening delivery, which allowed Yashasvi Jaiswal to make another excellent catch at short leg. With this wicket, he moved up to No. 8 on the all-time wicket-takers’ table, surpassing Courtney Walsh’s 519.
Litton Das was soon given an advantage by Jadeja’s rapid pace and turn, making the catch at first slip simpler. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who was playing at home, gave Ashwin a gift after deciding to take on the long-on fielder and ended up handing Jadeja a simple catch. It was fitting that Ashwin’s five-wicket haul was capped off by a Jadeja catch.
In an attempt to farm the strike, Shanto tried hitting Jadeja with the final delivery of an over, but the cunning spinner went wide to give away a thick edge that took a wicket. After then, it was just a matter of time.
Also Read: ‘Love playing in Chennai, definitely it was emotional knock’- Rishabh Pant after his century in the Test comeback
A small detail: in the subsequent over, Jadeja took his third wicket, which was what may have been Ashwin’s seventh wicket, but it was not given or reviewed.