"You found different heroes at different times" - Aakash Chopra on India's takeaways from IND vs BAN 2024 1st Test
Aakash Chopra reckons the biggest takeaway for India from the first Test against Bangladesh was different players rising to the occasion whenever required. He pointed out that Rohit Sharma and company were in trouble multiple times but fought their way back.
India thrashed Bangladesh by 280 runs in Chennai on Sunday, September 22, to take a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series. The visitors, who started the fourth day at 158/4 in pursuit of a 515-run target, were bundled out for 234 before Lunch.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra pointed out that Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja bailed India out of trouble when they got stuck in the first innings.
"The big takeaway for me was that you got stuck because you lost the toss and there was help on the pitch for the fast bowlers and you were 34/3 but who saved you from there? That was a challenge. You first got Rishabh Pant there and Yashasvi Jaiswal was there with him. They had a partnership and took you to a decent score," he said (3:15).
"Yashasvi had an important role as he stayed at one end. Rishabh Pant's 39 was very important, which might not be talked about that much. After that, you became 144/6, but there Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, one scored a hundred and the other 86. If you make a comeback like that, it means you found different heroes at different times," the former India opener added.
Jaiswal (56) and Pant (39) stitched together a 62-run fourth-wicket partnership after India were reduced to 34/3. Ashwin (113) and Jadeja (86) then added 199 runs for the seventh wicket after the hosts were 144/6.
"You can call him a living legend" - Aakash Chopra on Jasprit Bumrah's first-innings spell
![Jasprit Bumrah registered figures of 4/50 in Bangladesh's first innings. [P/C: BCCI]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/09/eda76-17270026317625-1920.jpg?w=500)
Aakash Chopra praised the Indian seamers, especially Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja for bowling Bangladesh out for 149 in their first innings.
"Once 376 were scored, it was game, set and match. Then the way the fast bowlers bowled in the first innings. Bumrah picked up four wickets. He is great, you can call him a living legend. He missed his five-wicket haul because Siraj picked up the last wicket. Akash Deep picked up two wickets in two balls. Jadeja took two huge wickets," he said (4:20) in the same video.
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Shubman Gill (119*) and Rishabh Pant (109) bailed India out of a spot of bother in the second innings.
"Then India got stuck once again. They were 67/3 but there again you got two new heroes - Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant. Both scored centuries. This Test will be remembered for Rishabh Pant because comeback stories are very difficult," Chopra observed.
Chopra lauded Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja for running through the Bangladesh lineup in the second innings. He concluded by terming India's comprehensive win despite Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma not scoring runs a positive.