Legendary spin duo Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have helped India win several matches with the ball, but they are no fools with the bat and they proved it during the first Test match between India and Bangladesh in Chennai.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja came together when India were in deep trouble at 144-6 and were even struggling to reach the 200-run mark. But the pair showed why they are so good in Test cricket with their exceptional batting skills.
Ravindra Jadeja played the role of second fiddle while Ashwin played the role of the main scorer. At stumps on Day 1, both the all-rounders were unbeaten at the crease. Jadeja was unbeaten on 86 off 117 balls while Ravichandran Ashwin had completed a magnificent century and was not out on 102 off 112 balls.
Watch: Ravichandran Ashwin gets a standing ovation in the Indian dressing room after battling it out against Bangladesh
Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja join an elite club
Both Ashwin and Jadeja had put on an unbeaten partnership of 195 runs in 37.4 overs by the end of the day. With this partnership, they joined the legendary Indian duo of Kapil Dev and Syed Kirmani in the list of Indian batting pairs who have scored more than 500 runs in a partnership for the seventh wicket or less in home Tests.
Ashwin and Jadeja are second on the list as they have completed the record in 14 Test matches. They have registered 100 runs or more for the second time in their careers. The first time they had a hundred-run partnership was against Sri Lanka in Mohali, when they scored 130 runs together.
Kapil Dev and Syed Kirmani top the list with 617 runs in 14 Test matches. Like Ashwin and Jadeja, Kapil Dev and Syed Kirmani also used to bat in the lower order.
List of the most races in a partnership in local events (No. 7 or below)
- Kapil Dev and Syed Kirmani: 617 runs in 14 matches
- R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja – 500* in 14 matches
- MS Dhoni and VVS Laxman: 486 runs in 3 matches
- Syed Kirmani and Ravi Shastri – 462 in 8 matches
- Ravindra Jadeja and Wriddhiman Saha: 421 runs in 9 matches
Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have bailed India out of trouble with their brilliant partnership. Both of them have put India in the driving seat with their unbeaten stand.
Both batsmen wasted no time in putting pressure on their opponents. Ashwin was more attacking in his game and made the most of the bad balls on offer. Jadeja started cautiously but soon started attacking the bowlers.
Both of them ended the day with their strike rates above 70, which shows the aggressive intent of both batsmen. India finished at 339-6 at stumps on Day 1. Ashwin and Jadeja will look to add more runs to their partnership and take the Men in Blue into a more dominant position.
Earlier, Hasan Mahmud had rocked India’s top order with a brilliant spell in the morning. Mahmud finished with 4-58 and will be eyeing a five-wicket haul.
