Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were pivotal to India’s victory in the first Test match against Bangladesh, in Chennai on Sunday. The pair stitched together a 199-run partnership in the first innings, where Ashwin also got a century. Meanwhile in the second innings, they took a total of nine wickets, as Bangladesh were bowled out for 234 runs.
What did R Ashwin say?
After the match, Ashwin was asked if he ever saw Jadeja as a rival in the Indian setup. The veteran replied, “Sometimes, when you’re in the race along with your co-cricketers, you want to get ahead of one another, even inside a team. It’s like brothers growing in arms, right? And then you slowly start admiring one another.”
“Now, that admiration has gone one step higher, knowing that I can never beat Jadeja. So, I’m comfortable in my skin, but totally inspired by what he’s done,” he further added.
He revealed, “Jadeja on the field is a fire. He’s a rocket on the field. So, all in all, I envy him. I’m jealous of him but totally admire him. I’ve learnt to admire him for the last 4-5 years, even more than I have in the past.”
Furthermore, Ashwin called Jadeja’s career ‘a very inspirational story’. “He’s been a very inspirational story. Many of these occasions over the last 3-4 years, when he’s walked in to bat, I feel so calm and composed in the dressing room. It’s such an inspirational story about how he’s found his off-stump, how he’s contributed,” he said.
In the first innings, Ashwin registered 113 runs off 133 balls, packed with 11 fours and two sixes. Meanwhile, Jadeja clattered 86 runs off 124 balls, including 10 fours and two sixes.
In the first innings, India at one point were at 144/6, but then Ashwin’s rescue act with Jadeja saw them reach 376. In response Bangladesh collapse for 149 in 1.5 sessions, courtesy of a four-wicket haul from Jasprit Bumrah. The hosts didn’t enforce a follow-on. In the second innings, centuries from Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill took India to a massive 500-plus target. In their chase, Bangladesh collapsed for 234.
