It’s midday. The crowd is quiet. Maybe even bored. Many of them have come in Virat Kohli shirts. The silence as he fell is already being talked about for a cameo in the next Quiet Place movie. Someone comes out of the Indian dressing room and starts to walk onto the field. That’s all. Just put one foot in front of the other. People have been doing that since before the Stone Age. But it’s enough to instantly dispel the gloom that morning.
It’s almost over. India’s score has improved from 34 for 3 to 329 for 6, and the same Kohli-wearing players have risen from their seats and are crowding the barriers, pulling out mobile phones and honking their horns.
India were 144 for 6 when Ashwin came to bat. Bangladesh had squandered some of their good performances in the morning session but were not quite so generous now. The pressure was coming from both sides. Hasan Mahmud’s dexterity in moving the red ball both ways had catapulted him into a position held only by Dale Steyn in the last 18 years. During that period, the South African was the only visiting seamer to take four or more wickets on the first day of a Test match in India. This was no day for the spinner. Ashwin, India’s most prolific spinner, took a 142 km/h fast ball from Nahid Rana and hit it super-smoothly in front of the point for four to open his account. This was already his day.
India’s lower mid-order has made the difference in several Test matches and helped the country to an impeccable home record over the last 12 years. Yet in that time they have rarely encountered such conditions. It is learnt that neither the BCCI nor the team management had asked for playing-friendly surfaces for this series, despite them having five crucial Tests in Australia at the end of the season. Nevertheless, local officials have been very conscious of preparing the pitch and protecting it from the heat that reached unprecedented levels in Chennai in September. The only time it was exposed to the elements was when it was watered. They seem to be adamant that India would do well to play with a red ball that just wouldn’t stop bouncing around after their recent experience. #KnowledgableChennaiGroundstaff.
Ashwin couldn’t have been happier with the way he was tested. “I think it’s the old Chennai surface with a bit of bounce and carry. The red surface allows you to play a few shots. If you’re willing to line up and, if there’s width, give a bit of swing, it really helps. I love playing when there’s bounce and carry, so yeah, I really enjoyed it today.”
Two partnerships took India to 339 for 6 and both were notable for their refusal to step back. Yashasvi Jaiswal epitomised this in every sense of the word, walking towards Mahmud – from a starting position well in front of his batting mark – to force the bowler to shorten his length and deny him the movement he was so adept at. Rishabh Pant looked exceptional for the time he was on the field. He was brought in ahead of KL Rahul to give Bangladesh a new challenge by bowling to two left-handers after they had made short work of three right-handers. India were in trouble but they were fully there throughout and that made a huge difference.
In the end, Ashwin and Jadeja scored almost a run a ball, indulging in a style of bowling that would not cause anyone any trouble on this pitch – spin. India actually scored more than a third of their total (127) against Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan, despite bowling just over a quarter of the overs (29). Another example of India’s batting prowess despite being under pressure.
The Chennai crowd couldn’t have asked for anything better. At 38, it’s uncertain whether Ashwin will play another Test before them. His family was here. His friends were here. He greeted them all when he reached his hundred – first in the dressing room – and then in every corner. His average is 55.16 on this ground. His home ground. That’s not far off Sunil Gavaskar and much better than Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Dilip Vengsarkar and Mohammad Azharuddin. That was always his day, two days after his birthday.
