India vs Bangladesh: Rohit calls Pant superb, Ashwin dependable after win

India beat Bangladesh by 280 runs in the first Test of the two-match series at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, cementing their status as the toughest team to beat in home conditions. In the post-match ceremony, skipper Rohit Sharma showered praises on two of the biggest heroes for India in the match, Rishabh Pant and Ravichandran Ashwin. Rohit called Pant a special talent, while hailing Ashwin as one of the most dependable players in the team.
 

Although the final result suggests Rohit Sharma and company won the game comfortably, in reality, it was a comeback victory as the visitors were on top after the first two sessions on day one.
 

However, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, with their all-round show, and Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill, with their destructive centuries in the second innings, handed India a 1-0 lead in the series with ease.
 

Return to remember for Pant
 

Skipper Rohit Sharma, in the post-match conference, said that everyone in the team was looking for Pant’s return, given how special a talent the southpaw is. Rishabh Pant, who scored 39 (1st innings) and 109 (2nd innings), was returning to the longest format of cricket two years after his life-threatening road accident in December 2022.
 

Rohit mentioned that Pant went through some of the toughest times of his career following the accident. He further added, “He came back in the IPL, followed by a very successful World Cup, and this is the format he loves the most. For us, it was never about what he was going to do with the bat, we always knew what he had with the bat and with the gloves as well. It was just about giving him the game time.”
 

Mr Dependable R Ashwin
 

Giving his thoughts on Ravichandran Ashwin’s all-round performance in the game (113 runs and 6 wickets), Rohit said that the 38-year-old is one of the most dependable cricketers in the team at the moment, as he is ready to help the team with both bat and ball wherever the situation arises.
 

Rohit further added, “I don’t know if I speak here, it’ll be enough of what he does for this team. Every time we see him come out and do the job, it’s always so brilliant. He’s never out of the game. The last competitive cricket he played was IPL, and then he had some fun playing TNPL. We watched him bat up the order, and that’s what helped him as well to bat the way he did.”