Former Pakistan Cricketer Kamran Akmal hailed India’s spin duo Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin following their remarkable performance in the first Test against Bangladesh. Notably, India beat Bangladesh by 280 runs in the match as Ravichandran Ashwin scored a hundred and picked a five wicket haul.
Ravindra Jadeja also scored a magnificent 86 to rescue India in the first innings along with Ashwin and picked five wickets across two innings. Commenting on their performance, Akmal hailed the Indian spin-twins and mentioned that it’s impossible for India to pick a playing XI at home without including them.
“What an all-round performance from Ashwin. He took six wickets in the second innings and scored a century. It was a match-winning partnership from Jaddu. Without these two players, India can’t form a Test playing XI at home. They are big performers,” he added.
Further speaking ahead, Akmal also praised Rishabh Pant for his remarkable comeback to the Test team after 634 days as he survived a near-fatal car crash on December 30, 2022.
“It was an incredible performance from Pant. I salute the medical panel and the trainer who brought him back to the field,” he added.
Pant played a gritty knock of 39 in the first innings as he rescued India’s innings from 34/3. Later in the second innings, he scored his sixth Test hundred with a breathtaking innings of 109 (128) smashing 13 fours and four sixes.
Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill butcher Bangladesh
Pant got involved in a massive 167-run stand with Shubman Gill for the fourth wicket, who scored a magnificent century (119*) as his love affair with the second innings continued. Courtesy of their partnership, India managed to take a massive 514-run lead in the second innings.
In reply, Bangladesh were bundled out for 234 with captain Najmul Hossain Shanto being the top scorer with his innings of 82 (127). Ravichandran Ashwin scalped his 37th five-wicket haul for India registering figures of 6/88 in 21 overs after scoring a brilliant hundred in the first innings. As a result, he took home his 10th Player of the Match award in Tests.
India won the first Test by 280 runs and took a 1-0 lead in the two-match series with the second match set to be played from September 27 at Green Park, Kanpur.
