India captain Rohit Sharma was extremely pleased with the way the team performed to earn a 280-run win over Bangladesh in the first Test that was played in Chennai. With this win, India went 1-0 up in the two-Test series as well.
Bangladesh was set 515 runs to win the Test and their batters started positively with openers Shadman Islam (35) and Zakir Hasan (33) adding 62 runs in quick time. Shanto then played a brilliant knock of 82 runs, but Bangladesh was bowled out for 234 runs and lost the Test by 280 runs.
India captain Rohit Sharma, speaking after the win, lauded the team’s patience and resilience in the game, with special praise for Ashwin’s all-round brilliance.
"It was a great result looking at what lies ahead for us. We are playing after a long time, but you are never out of cricket. We came here a week before, and we wanted the result we got,” Rohit said.
R Ashwin was the Player of the Match for his 113 and 6/88 and Rohit expressed his admiration for the off-spinner's contribution.
"He's always there for us with the ball and bat. Every time we see him, it's always beautiful. He's never out of the game,” Rohit added.
Reflecting on the team's overall strategy, Rohit appreciated the Indian players' discipline, particularly on a difficult red soil pitch in Chennai.
"No matter what the conditions are, we want to build the team around that. You need to have a little bit of patience as well. This was a pitch where we had to show a lot of patience. We were patient enough with the bat and with the ball as well to put them under pressure,” Rohit stated.
Rohit was also quick to praise the return of wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who produced a century in India's second innings after nearly two years away from Test cricket.
"The way he has managed himself was superb to watch. He came back in the IPL, followed by a successful World Cup, and this is a format he loves the most. It was about giving him the game time. Credit to him, he had an impact straightaway," Rohit said.
India’s captain closed his remarks by acknowledging the team’s hunger for success.
"In the last few years, wherever we have played, we have managed to have that in the armory. You have to give credit to the guys, they want to put their hand up,” Rohit said.
The second Test begins on September 27 in Kanpur.
(PTI inputs)
