For the first hour on Sunday, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Shakib Al Hasan rode their luck and showed plenty of pluck to keep a rampant Mohammed Siraj and India at bay. Then, summoned his ace in the pack immediately after the drinks interval and the first Test quickly unravelled towards its expected denouement at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here. ADVERTISEMENT R Ashwin has been a champion performer for the country for more than a decade and he reiterated his value despite turning 38 a few days back with another telling exhibition of off-spin at his home ground.
He took only four deliveries to make his presence felt, having Shakib smartly caught at a squarish short-leg by Yashasvi Jaiswal to set the cat amongst the pigeons. From 194-4, Bangladesh tumbled to 234 all out, losing six for 40 in 64 deliveries to hand India victory in the first Test by a commanding margin of 280 runs, with more than five sessions still left. The rapidity with which the wickets tumbled in the second hour of Day Four was in keeping with the pace at which the game unfolds in the sub-continent, and especially in India when, once they have their tails up, Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are virtually unplayable.
Ashwin finished with 6-88, his 37th five-wicket taking him to joint second alongside the great Shane Warne in the list of Test bowlers with most five-fors. Muttiah Muralitharan, the most prolific wicket-taker in the format, tops all-comers with a staggering 67 five-wicket hauls. By backing up his sixth Te.