"Teams don't surrender in a pitch like this" - Ravichandran Ashwin on result of PAK vs BAN 2024 1st Test
Team India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin stated that he was surprised to see Pakistan's batting collapse in the first Test against Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The Men in Green suffered a humiliating 10-wicket loss to go 0-1 down in the two-match series.
Pakistan were bundled out for just 146 in their second innings. Bangladesh chased down the modest 30-run target with 10 wickets in hand, claiming their first-ever Test win over Pakistan.
Ashwin mentioned that he didn't expect the hosts to go down without a fight on such a flat wicket. Reacting to Pakistan's embarrassing defeat, here's what Ashwin said in his latest YouTube video (from 2:51):
"The match was in sleep mode for the first three days. Suddenly, Pakistan surprised me with a surprise when I was about to catch a flight. When I saw the highlights of the match, I understood one thing. The proper, tiring collapse on a final day. I haven't seen that for a long time."
"Teams don't surrender in a pitch like this," he continued. "In first-class cricket, strong teams will bat first and hit big. The wicket will be a batting wicket. In those two days, they will pull off an all-out in a tired state. When the wicket crumbles, they will get all out again. I got that depiction. There is nothing in the pitch. It's an absolute road."
Mohammad Rizwan was the only saving grace for Pakistan in their second innings. The wicketkeeper-batter scored 51 runs off 80 balls, with only three other batters crossing the single-digit mark.
Ashwin pointed out that while Rizwan tried to fight it out, he didn't receive enough support from the lower-order batters. He added:
"In fact, in the end, Rizwan was staging a fight. I didn't understand a thing. Naseem Shah played a shot and left cheaply. I didn't understand what just happened. I didn't understand a thing."
With the victory, Bangladesh became the first team to beat Pakistan by 10 wickets in a Test on Pakistani soil. The Shan Masood-led side have slipped to the eighth spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table following the loss.
"An unbelievably good news, with what that country is going through" - Ravichandran Ashwin on Bangladesh's historic victory
Ravichandran Ashwin noted that Bangladesh's win will bring some happiness to the team's fans amid the political turmoil in the country.
Expressing his excitement over the team's commendable performance, the 37-year-old said (from 0:52):
"According to me, this news is not catching up on fire. Bangladesh beat Pakistan for the first time in Test cricket. It is just an unbelievably good news, with what that country is going through. For the people, for what turmoil they are going through, the captain, the coach, everyone are proud. But nevertheless, a fantastic victory."
The second and final Test of the series between Pakistan and Bangladesh will also be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The game kicks off on Friday, August 30.