3 positive takeaways for India from 1st IND vs BAN 2024 Test win ft. Rishabh Pant
Team India continued their match towards the final in another edition of the World Test Championship as they thrashed Bangladesh by 280 runs in the first Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The result meant that the Tigers are still yet to seal a Test win against India.
Najmul Hossain Shanto and his men had their moments, including an opening-day burst from Hasan Mahmud that threatened to have the hosts on the ropes. But the overall quality of the Indian batting lineup, coupled with an excellent job by the home side's spinners in the second innings, sealed a comfortable win.
On that note, here are three positives for India from their win over Bangladesh in the first Test.
#3 Rishabh Pant is back, and back with a bang
After an incident-free run at the Duleep Trophy, Rishabh Pant was always going to walk back into the Indian Test side. He slotted in at No. 5 against Bangladesh, and it seemed like he was never even away.
Pant got off to a start in the first innings and seemed set for a big one before a rash shot outside off brought about his downfall. In the second innings, the southpaw ensured that he converted it into a big one, with a dropped catch aiding him along the way.
Pant's aggression, solidity and ability to access different areas of the ground clearly haven't dwindled at all. He came out of the first Test as one of India's biggest positive takeaways.
#2 In only a few overs, Akash Deep impressed
Akash Deep didn't have many overs to bowl in the first Test. He was used sparingly in both innings, with his two scalps on Day 2 being his only major contribution with the ball in the contest.
However, Deep impressed in his limited involvement. He hit the right lengths consistently and forced several false shots from the Bangladesh batters, with his prodigious seam movement helping matters.
The 27-year-old was also one of the standouts in the Duleep Trophy and had a good outing against England earlier this year as well. As India looks to build towards an important Australian tour, they need their fast bowlers to come out in support of Jasprit Bumrah. And Deep seems on the right track to do that.
#1 R Ashwin was back to his best with the ball
![Ashwin picked up six in the second innings [Image: BCCI on X]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/09/20d01-17272707826163-1920.jpg?w=500)
It wasn't a surprise since Ravichandran Ashwin is one of India's greatest-ever Test players and is still going strong, but the fact that the veteran all-rounder was close to his best in both departments was a definite positive takeaway for the team.
In the last home assignment against England, Ashwin wasn't quite at his absolute best with the ball. His consistency was a bit lacking, and he struggled to produce wickets when he was attacked. Against Bangladesh, though, the off-spinner showed signs of returning to his impeccable best.
Ashwin followed up his first-innings hundred with a six-fer in the second innings, wickets that were generated despite the pitch not being an outright turner. And with his batting offering so much, he could play a crucial role even Down Under.