Ravichandran Ashwin scored his second consecutive century at home to rescue the Indian cricket team after Bangladesh suffered a top-order collapse on the first day of the first Test at Chepauk. Ashwin played a counter-attack on a difficult red surface that saw the Bangladeshi pacers batting wildly, especially in the first session. Ashwin etched his name in the history books when he orchestrated a brilliant partnership with Ravindra Jadeja to take India past the 300-run mark on the first day. While the entire stadium was on its feet when Ashwin reached the three-figure score, it was an old lady in the stands who won everyone’s hearts.

Ashwin scored his sixth Test hundred, cementing his position as an all-rounder while also being one of the game’s legends with the ball in hand. In a video shared by the BCCI on social media, an old lady can be seen applauding the Indian star while holding two teacups.

Applause for @ashwinravi99 across all age groups!

Live – https://t.co/jV4wK7BgV2… #INDvBAN @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/SsE9w5VV4u

— BCCI (@BCCI) 19 September 2024

After the end of the first day, Ashwin spoke about the strategy he adopted that enabled him to aggressively score a ton at Chepauk.

“It’s an old Chennai surface with some bounce and carry. The red surface of the pitch allows you to play a few shots if you are willing to just line up and apply a little pressure if the width is there,” Ashwin said after the match.

“Obviously, I’ve always swung my bat outside the off-stump. I’ve been working on a few things and on a surface like this with a bit of spice, if you’re going to go after the ball, you might as well go after it really hard like Rishabh does.”

Rishabh Pant also batted well, scoring 39 off 52 balls before he missed a loose shot.

On a day when India lost their top four for 96, Ashwin showed remarkable control and dominated the Bangladesh bowling with his brilliant 102 not out from 112 balls in a combative rearguard performance while forging an unbroken partnership with Ravindra Jadeja (86*).

Ashwin attributed his strong performance to his recent stint in the Tamil Nadu Premier League, where he worked on his batting. “It helps that I have come back from a T20 tournament (TNPL). I have worked on my batting quite a lot,” he said.

“It’s always a special feeling to play in front of the home crowd. This is a ground where I love playing cricket. I have many wonderful memories of it,” said Ashwin, who hit his second hundred here.

Ashwin also praised the support he received from his teammate Jadeja during a difficult phase of the innings.

“He (Jadeja) was a real help. There was a point in time when I was sweating and getting a bit tired. Jaddu quickly noticed that and guided me through that phase,” said Ashwin, praising Jadeja’s ability to give crucial advice at the right moment.

“Jaddu has been one of our best batters on the team over the last few years. His presence has been solid and his advice that we don’t need to convert twos into threes has been really helpful to me.”

With PTI inputs