In the wake of India’s resounding 280-run victory over Bangladesh in the first Test in Chennai, Indian captain Rohit Sharma showered praise on the depth and variety of his bowling unit. Despite a six-month hiatus from the Test format, India showcased resilience and adaptability to dominate the match across both innings. The fast bowlers, spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah, set the tone in the first innings, dismantling the visitors’ batting lineup for a mere 149 runs. In contrast, the second innings saw the seasoned R. Ashwin returning to his potent best, claiming a six-wicket haul to complement his century in the first innings.
“No matter what the conditions are, whether we play in India, whether we play outside, we want to build the team around [bowling],” Rohit stated post-match, underscoring the team’s strategic focus. “Whatever the condition has to offer, we got to be ready for it. In the last few years, wherever we have played, we have managed to have that in our armoury, whether it is seam bowling options or spin bowling options. You have to give credit to the guys, whenever there is a responsibility, they never shy away from it and they want to put their hand up and get the job done for the team.”
The Chennai pitch presented a unique challenge to the Indian bowlers. Unlike many typical subcontinental tracks, this was a red-soil wicket, offering good pace and bounce over the first two days. Consequently, spinners found limited purchase early in the match, with only five of the first 24 wickets falling to spin. However, as the match progressed and the pitch wore down, turn and bounce became more pronounced, allowing spinners to come into their own by the final day.
R. Ashwin, who took six wickets in the fourth innings, provided detailed insights into the pitch’s characteristics. “Look, I think this pitch, even if you bowl good balls, you will go for runs. But the bounce is going to be quite daunting,” he commented. “We have lost a lot of red soil pitches over the years, which was a key component of playing Test cricket in India. And the beauty about red soil is, you put revs on it, there is value. And there is bounce. You will get hit, but there is bounce.
“You play on some black clay surfaces around the country elsewhere without naming them, you have to do a lot of hard work. Put a lot of revs and see nothing come out of it. And sometimes, it’s better to not put revs on it in certain places. So, to even understand all these things, to begin to understand and talk about it, is a fair amount of learning for me. And it’s happened over the years. Like I said, this one’s got solid bounce. And I would anyway play on a surface like this and get hit.
. Then play on another surface.”
Ashwin further reflected on the diversity of pitches across India, noting that the country’s varied soil types and climates result in vastly different playing conditions. “The beauty of playing on good surfaces like this, sometimes around the country… people do make the mistake of terming India as a whole. I actually think India has a lot of foreign soil. You go to Ranchi, it doesn’t feel like home. You sometimes go to Eden, it doesn’t feel home. You go to Dharamsala, all of a sudden, it doesn’t feel [like] home. And for some wild reason, people don’t seem to assimilate this. Because the nature of soil is different. The weather is different. Different times of the year. It’s not a country like Australia where every boxing day Test match happens at Melbourne. We don’t do that. Pongal test doesn’t happen in Chennai. So, the surfaces react very differently at different times of the year.”
While the bowlers stole much of the limelight, Rohit Sharma also took a moment to commend Rishabh Pant’s remarkable comeback. Pant, returning to the format after missing 14 consecutive Tests due to injuries from a car accident in December 2022, scored a century that was pivotal to India’s commanding position in the match.
“He’s been through some really tough times. The way he has managed himself through those tough times was superb to watch,” Rohit noted. “He came back in the IPL, followed by a very successful World Cup and this is the format he loves the most. For us, it was never about what he is going to do with the bat, we always knew what he had with the bat and with the gloves as well. It was just about giving him the game time. Credit to him as well, he went on to play Duleep Trophy and got ready for this Test match and had an impact straightaway in the game.”
This comprehensive performance, with both bat and ball, signals a robust return for India in Test cricket, reinforcing their reputation as a formidable force on any pitch, anywhere in the world.