1st Test: Can’t call Bangladesh underdog team anymore, says Ashwin

Chennai, Sep 19 (IANS) With Bangladesh coming into the two-match Test series against India on the back of securing a remarkable 2-0 series win over Pakistan in Rawalpindi, senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said no one can call the visitors’ an underdog team anymore.

"Not sure how much of that has occupied our dressing room. But certainly they (Bangladesh) have put their hand up and said, 'look we are a team on the rise and we are playing some wonderful cricket.' I watched some of those clips (vs Pakistan), it wasn't live in India, truly an exceptional result for the Bangladeshi cricket team, for what they have gone through as well.

"I am one of those guys who loves to see the underdog come out and perform. You can't call them an underdog anymore, they have played some wonderful cricket. They challenged us in Bangladesh when we were there the last time. Really looking forward to a good series,” said Ashwin in a pre-match chat with broadcasters on Thursday.

He also feels the red-soil pitch at Chepauk will test both India and Bangladesh on all aspects of the game. "All the Test matches that we have played here so far, barring the one where it was kind of low-scoring against England, generally the batsmen have got huge runs. The game against Australia was literally a 500 play 500 game sort of a wicket.

"It's always been a good Test match pitch. We are going to be playing on a red soil pitch again. There'll be a lot of bounce, but there's going to be value for bowlers as well. All facets of the game will be in play."

Ashwin, hailing from Chennai, recently turned 38 and felt working harder helps him give that advantage to come good in Test matches of late. "Excitement and ambition always remain the same when I take the field. Cricket is a game that I totally adore. I have enjoyed every single moment that I have been on the field. But age is a number and how you think is also a number.

"But the kind of work you stack up over a period of time to get out there in the park and have the best energy levels to be able to persevere and keep going, it definitely takes toll over a period of time. But you need to work harder to get that little bit of an advantage."

Ashwin signed off by saying making a century and picking a fifer in the Chepauk Test of 2021 against England is his favourite memory of playing Tests at his home venue. “Both - the game against England was a game played after the Covid break, and it the first time the crowd was back.”

"I didn't expect that kind of a reception, and neither did I expect for that many people to come watch the game. For that game to turn out the way it turned out for me was quite special. It's always been an incredible ground for me - great memories, very old memories as well. Coming back here is always very special for me."

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