In the aftermath of India’s commanding 280-run triumph over Bangladesh in the first Test held in Chennai, captain Rohit Sharma showered accolades on the bowling unit’s depth and versatility. Despite a six-month hiatus from this format, India’s return was nothing short of spectacular, as they unveiled multiple strategies for success across both innings. The fast-bowling contingent, spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah, set the tone in the first innings by bundling out the visitors for a mere 149 runs. Meanwhile, R. Ashwin made a significant impact in the second innings, adding a six-wicket haul to his first-innings century.
“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 following the emphatic win. “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 Test presented a distinct challenge for the bowlers, featuring a red-soil pitch that provided substantial pace and bounce during the first two days. The spinners, who accounted for only five of the first 24 dismissals, had to adapt before the pitch started offering more turn and bounce on the final day. Rohit emphasized the importance of patience with both bat and ball. Ashwin, who conceded over four runs per over while capturing six wickets in the fourth innings, delved into the pitch’s unique characteristics in greater detail.
“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,” Ashwin noted. “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 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 than play on another surface.
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Moreover, Ashwin pointed out the nuances of playing on various pitches across India, countering the generalization that implies uniform conditions throughout the country. “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 like 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.”
In parallel, Rohit also expressed high praise for Rishabh Pant, who made a remarkable comeback to the sport with a century after missing 14 consecutive Tests due to injuries sustained in a car accident in December 2022. “He’s been through some really tough times. The way he has managed himself through those tough times was superb to watch,” Rohit shared. “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.”
India’s performance against Bangladesh has set a resounding tone for their future endeavors, underlining the effectiveness of a well-rounded bowling attack and the resilience of key players like Rishabh Pant. As the team continues to adapt to varying conditions, their aim to build a formidable unit around their bowling resources remains steadfast.