Ashwin reveals build-up to Chennai Test heroic knock: Worked a lot on my batting

Ravichandran Ashwin revealed that he had focused intensely on improving his batting ahead of India's first Test against Bangladesh. His 113-run knock, alongside Ravindra Jadeja's 86, rescued India from a top-order collapse in Chennai.

In Short

• Ashwin focused on batting improvements before his match-saving century
• Ashwin and Jadeja's partnership rescued India after top-order collapse
• India's top-order failure was overcome by Ashwin's 113-run knock

Ravichandran Ashwin revealed that he had specifically worked on his batting skills leading up to his heroic knock in India's first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai. On September 19, after a top-order collapse for Rohit Sharma's team at the MA Chidambaram stadium, Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja's resilient partnership rescued India from the strong Bangladesh bowling attack.

During a post-match press conference, Ashwin shared that he had focused intensely on his batting in preparation for this match, practising various shot ranges to ensure his suitability for the Bangladesh Test, which paid off brilliantly.

"So, I have worked a lot (on his batting)â€æ quite a lot on how I can maximise my shots, maximise my game, work on how I can play fast bowling, all that sort of stuff. So, glad it's coming out nicely. I am pretty content with what's happening," Ashwin said.

"You feel happy about it, having been in a contest and coming out successful out of the contest. So, yeah, the underlying truth is that it gives me a lot of happiness competing in this game. This is just a vehicle for me to compete and feel good about myself and be happy at the end of the day," Ashwin added.

India’s innings had started poorly, with early wickets of key players like skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill, who were dismissed in quick succession. A brief but crucial partnership between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant helped India reach a decent 144-run total. However, both players were soon dismissed by Nahid Rana and Hasan Mahmud, respectively.

This marked the beginning of Ashwin’s spectacular performance, as he scored a match-saving 113 off 133 balls. Alongside him, Jadeja played a crucial knock of 86 off 124 balls. Their partnership not only stabilized India's innings but also snatched the advantage from Bangladesh, taking India to 339/6 at the end of Day 1.

India was eventually bowled out for 376 on Day 2, a total far exceeding expectations after the early top-order failures. Ashwin's efforts, coupled with Jadeja's, provided India with a solid foundation in the match.