Ashwin wrecks Bangladesh as India win big in Chennai

R.SATISH BABU/ AFP

Ravichandran Ashwin's six for 88 wrecked Bangladesh as India romped to a 280-run victory in the opening test on Sunday to grab a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Chasing a mammoth victory target of 515, Bangladesh were all out for 234 with only skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (82) offering some resistance with the bat.

Local star Ashwin was pick of the Indian bowlers, while his spin partner Ravindra Jadeja (3-58) provided able support as the home side triumphed inside four days.

India captain Rohit Sharma heaped praise on his bowling attack for making the most of a red-soil pitch, which assisted both seamers and spinners.

"No matter what the conditions are, whether we play in India or outside, we want to build the team around that," he said.

"In the last few years, wherever we have travelled, wherever we played, we managed to have that in our armoury - whether it is seam bowling options or spin bowling options."

After Bangladesh resumed on 158-4, Shanto and all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan kept India at bay with their dogged resistance in the opening hour.

Home captain Rohit Sharma pressed Ashwin into service and he responded by breaking the partnership in his first over of the day.

The wily off-spinner lured Shakib forward and Yashasvi Jaiswal took a bat-pad catch at short leg to end the batter's knock of 25.

Jadeja had Litton Das caught in the slip and the match was effectively over when Shanto's wild swing against the left-arm spinner led to his dismissal.

Once their captain had left, a rudderless Bangladesh collapsed in a heap to lose the match with five sessions to spare.

Ashwin, who smashed a match-defining hundred in India's first innings, bagged player-of-the-match award.

Shanto said they wanted to extend the match despite being left with a mountain to climb in the contest.

"Just tried to bat as long as we can, we were not thinking about outcome," he said.

"Just try to follow our process and play with our strength. That's what we try to do."

The Bangladesh captain was pleased with his bowlers and said the batters must contribute more in the second and final test beginning in Kanpur on Friday.

"The bowlers did a great job. I hope the batters will do something special in next test match."

More from Sports News

  • Neymar nets first goal since Santos return

    Neymar scored for the first time in 16 months after his penalty set Santos on the way to a 3-1 win over Agua Santa in the Paulista Championship on Sunday and the Brazil forward said he was happy to be playing again after a long injury absence.

  • H.H. Sheikh Mohammed attends Al Salam Cycling Championship

    His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai, attended the fourth stage of the Al Salam Cycling Championship, which took place on Sunday at Al Marmoom Conservation Reserve.

  • Man Utd 'can't run away' says boss Amorim after Spurs loss

    Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim insists there is no running away from the club's plight after they suffered a 1-0 loss at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, their 12th defeat in 25 Premier League games this season.

  • UAE to host FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Trophy Tour

    The UAE is the first stop on the Asian leg of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Trophy Tour with a visit scheduled for February 22-24.

  • Raducanu puts on dominant display in Dubai

    British debutant Emma Raducanu got her Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships campaign off to the perfect start, defeating former World Number 3 Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-2 under the lights on Centre Court.

On Virgin Radio today

Trending on Virgin Radio