R Ashwin stars as India beat Bangladesh in Chennai Test by 280 runs

Team India took a 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series as Bangladesh collapsed from 194/4 to 234 all-out in the fourth innings chasing 515 runs handing the hosts a massive 280-run win. This was India's 179th win in Test cricket, which for the first time is more than the number of defeats in the format (178) in the team's 92-year-long red-ball history. 515 was always going to be a tall chase but apart from captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, openers Shadman Islam and Zakir Hasan and a bit of a fight from Shakib Al Hasan, no other batter offered much resistance.

Local boy R Ashwin, who went wicketless in the first innings snapped another five-wicket haul as despite the very little assistance from the pitch, the veteran spinner used the rough and over-spin on the ball to his advantage while getting a bit of turn from the flighted deliveries to challenge the Bangladesh batters' defence.

Since the pitch wasn't offering much, Bangladesh openers Zakir and Shadman were able to get a really good start chasing a mountain of 515. Jasprit Bumrah broke the stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal grabbing a blinder at gully before Ashwin got into his act.

Ashwin was introduced late on the fourth day after the first hour and dismissed Shakib in his very first over on Sunday, having already dismissed three batters on



the previous day. After Shakib's wicket, the tap was opened and Bangladesh lost six wickets for just 40 runs. Ashwin equalled Shane Warne with another five-wicket haul, his 37th, walking away with figures of 6/88 while Jadeja got three wickets.

The match, however, was set up by Ashwin himself, but with the bat in the first innings. At 144/6, India seemed in a tricky position with Bangladesh pacers running riot. However, the two Ravis - Indran and Chandran - Ashwin and Jadeja, stitched a massive 199-run stand to led India's fightback.

Ashwin slammed his sixth Test hundred while playing aggressively and taking the attack to the opposition while Jadeja supported him excellently to help India get to 376. With the ball doing a bit, Jasprit Bumrah proved to be a handful as Bangladesh collapsed to 149 all-out in the first innings. That 227-run lead was probably the moment where Bangladesh were always chasing the game and Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant's centuries just shut the door on any possibility of a comeback for the visitors.

India have taken a 1-0 lead in the series and extended their dominance at the top of the table in WTC standings with a PCT of 71.67. Bangladesh, however, are now in a must-win situation after suffering a heavy defeat, to stay in contention for a spot in the WTC final.