R Ashwin once again proved to be a nightmare for Bangladesh as he scored his 6th Test century on Day 1 of the first Test in Chennai. Ashwin reached his century in just 108 balls, hitting 10 boundaries and 2 sixes.
Ashwin walked in to bat when India was struggling at 144/6 after the top order crumbled, with KL Rahul departing for just 12 runs. Ashwin, alongside Ravindra Jadeja, stabilized the innings, with the local hero playing the aggressor. He played some exquisite shots off the pacers before turning his attention to the spinners, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan.
Ashwin made his intentions clear against Shakib with a delightful six, getting to his fifty off just 58 balls. He maintained the pressure, ensuring India crossed the 300-run mark for the first time in the day. There were a couple of close calls where the ball edged past the slips, but Ashwin remained undeterred, bringing up his century with an easy single.
Ashwin’s history of tormenting Bangladesh in Tests continues. The last time these two sides met in Mirpur, Ashwin picked up 6 wickets and scored a crucial 42, steering India to a 3-wicket victory from the jaws of defeat. In that match, he also forged a key partnership with Shreyas Iyer in 2022.
This century also marks Ashwin’s second consecutive Test hundred at Chepauk, with his previous century coming against England in 2021. He now joins legends like Gundappa Viswanath, Kapil Dev, and Virender Sehwag, with Sachin Tendulkar leading the tally with 5 centuries and Sunil Gavaskar with 3 at this venue.
Ashwin finished the day unbeaten on 102, guiding India to a formidable total of 339 for the loss of six wickets.
