When R Ashwin walked in to bat during the 43rd over, just after lunch, with his family and friends from Ramakrishnapuram 1st Street watching, India faced a crucial moment. On the eve of the Test, head coach Gautam Gambhir was asked about the possibility of developing a seam-bowling all-rounder. In his direct manner, he responded, “If we don’t have it, we don’t have it. But we have quality all-rounders like Ashwin, Jadeja, and Axar.”
On Day 1 of the Test, India’s two vital spin-bowling all-rounders, Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, rescued the team from a precarious position at 144/6, leading them to finish the day at 339/6.
Bangladesh, having won the toss and opting to bowl, appeared to have the upper hand on a pitch at MA Chidambaram Stadium that offered bounce and movement. India’s top-order contributed with loose shots, making Bangladesh’s job easier. But India’s lower-order, particularly the spin-bowling all-rounders, has been crucial in home conditions over the last decade, making them a formidable force.
Ashwin and Jadeja once again stepped up, forming an unbroken 195-run seventh-wicket stand, one of their most aggressive and dominant partnerships. Both refer to each other on Instagram as Indran and Chandran, inspired by the dual roles played by Rajnikanth in Thillu Mullu (a remake of Golmaal). In many ways, they are inseparable pillars of India’s Test dominance, and this time it was Bangladesh that witnessed it.
Over the years, Jadeja has outshone Ashwin with the bat, especially in overseas conditions. However, at home, both can shine together. In this innings, Ashwin proved he is no less a batsman than Jadeja. Walking in with India just two wickets away from exposing their tail, Ashwin had assessed the pitch well. His second delivery saw him punch a back-foot boundary through the covers.
“It’s an old-school Chennai pitch with bounce and carry. When there’s width, you can go for it. I enjoyed myself today,” Ashwin later remarked.
In the past year, Ashwin has put in extra work with his batting, even traveling to Seattle to study the dynamics of baseball. His understanding of the pitch, as discussed on his YouTube channel, was evident. Once he hit his first boundary, Ashwin shifted gears, attacking whenever Bangladesh’s bowlers provided width. Taking inspiration from Rishabh Pant, he executed horizontal bat shots on the off-side and, when faced with short balls, deployed the pull shot, a skill honed in gully cricket. Seven of his ten boundaries came through the covers and third-man, while his pull shots earned him three more boundaries on the leg side. He also smashed two sixes off the spinners toward mid-wicket.
Ashwin credited Jadeja for his support during the partnership. “Jadeja was a real help. At one point, I was sweating and tiring, but he guided me through. He reminded me that we didn’t need to push twos into threes, which helped,” Ashwin said. While Ashwin attacked early in the partnership, Jadeja held the fort, waiting to up the tempo later in the day, especially against the spinners. When Bangladesh’s bowlers strayed into his arc, Jadeja punished them with boundaries and sixes, matching Ashwin’s attacking play.
Ahead of the Test, Ashwin expressed his desire to create more memories at MA Chidambaram Stadium. On Day 1, in what might be his last Test at Chepauk, he did just that, with his longtime teammate and friend Jadeja by his side.
