Chennai: After contributing a crucial 86 runs with the bat and stitching a 199-run partnership with Ravichandran Ashwin (113) in the first innings, Ravindra Jadeja was a happy man to bag two wickets on the second day of the first Test against Bangladesh here on Friday.
Speedster Jasprit Bumrah’s 4-50 figures combined with two scalps each for Askah Deep, Mohammed Siraj and Jadeja bundled out the visitors for 149, giving India a hefty 227-run first innings lead at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here. India were 81/3 at stumps on the second day with a 308-run mammoth lead.
Earlier in the day, Ashwin and Jadeja failed to extend their 195-run overnight stand to great heights as Taskin Ahmed removed the left-handed batter in the third over of the session before taking scalps of Akash Deep (17) and Ashwin in the same spell. Hasan Mahmud took the final wicket of Bumrah (7) to wrap India’s first innings for 376.
“I got out today but it’s part and parcel of the game. Now we have to put up a good score on the board in the second innings. I am very happy with my bowling, the way I went through today,” said Jadeja after the end of play on Friday.
The all-rounder is four wickets away from claiming 300 Test scalps and feels that he has the chance to achieve the feat on Saturday. “It’s a good opportunity to take the 300th wicket on this ground.”
Jadeja added that the team will look to swell their lead further to give a massive target to the opponents.
“First we have to bat very well, we have to put somewhere around 120-150 from hereon. We’ll be in a good position and then we’ll come out and bowl and try and get them out as early as possible,” he said.
Overnight batters Shubman Gill (33*) and Rishabh Pant (12*) will resume India’s scoring on day three and will aim to save their wickets in the early seaming conditions in the opening session.
“It’s pretty good for batting but there’s still something in the wicket for the fast bowlers. The odd ball was seaming, odd ball was swinging, it’s not that easy for batters. If fast bowlers bend their back, they can take something out of the pitch,” the all-rounder added.
On his batting partnership with Ashwin, Jadeja added, “First of all, Ashwin doesn’t need any advice (chuckles). I was just talking to Ash that we are not gonna miscall or try and make errors because the wicket was so good and we both were batting very well. I said ‘We’ll look to take easy singles, I’ll try and not make you run hard’ and that was the conversation between us. Well played to Ashwin, he played a brilliant knock at his home ground.”
“There is something in the wicket for the fast bowler and for spinners also, odd spin and the odd ball is keeping low. All the five bowlers will be in play.”
–IANS