India secured a comprehensive 280-run victory over Bangladesh in the first Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, thanks to a stellar performance by all-rounders Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who shared nine wickets between them. This defeat is Bangladesh's largest in terms of runs against India.
Ashwin, who had already made a significant contribution with a century in the first innings, scalped six wickets, while Jadeja, who scored 86 runs in a crucial partnership with Ashwin, grabbed three wickets. Their combined efforts bowled Bangladesh out for 234 runs on the fourth morning.
Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was the lone bright spot for Bangladesh, top-scoring with 82 runs. However, he found little support from his fellow batsmen.
The day began with Ashwin striking in his first over, breaking a determined stand between Shakib Al Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto by dismissing Shakib. Shakib, who had narrowly avoided a stumping off Jadeja, was caught at short leg, his forward stride resulting in an edge onto the pads and into the hands of the fielder.
Shakib (25) had put together a 48-run partnership with Shanto, who remained steadfast at the other end. However, Litton Das (1) did not last long, his brief 10-ball innings ending adventurously at the hands of Jadeja. Mehedi Hasan Miraz also fell quickly, scoring just eight runs before succumbing to another aggressive shot. Shanto, increasingly isolated, was dismissed in frustration, and the lower order soon followed.
The final six wickets fell within approximately 45 minutes after Shanto and Shakib had shown an hour of determined resistance. Ashwin and Jadeja's combined efforts ensured that India wrapped up the match in emphatic fashion, leaving Bangladesh with much to ponder ahead of the next Test.
The collapse of the lower order within a mere 45 minutes underscores a lack of resilience and application. The batsmen's tendency to succumb to pressure, particularly against quality spin bowling, is a glaring weakness. This performance not only reflects technical deficiencies but also a mental fragility that must be overcome if Bangladesh are to compete at the highest level. While there were individual sparks of brilliance in the first Test, the collective batting effort fell short of the mark. Ahead of the second Test, the team must work on building batting partnerships and showing greater resolve in other areas of the game if they are to avoid such heavy defeats.
