Former Pakistan wicket-keeper batter Kamran Akmal was impressed with the way India defeated Bangladesh in the first Test in Chennai. The hosts outplayed the visitors in all departments of the game and won the contest by 280 runs in the first session on Day 4.

Bangladesh were below-par in the bowling and batting departments, a big let down after their Test series win in Pakistan.

Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill scored hundreds in India’s second innings, but it was Ravichandran Ashwin who ended up as the best performer. The veteran scored a ton in the first innings and took six wickets in the second essay. The 38-year-old was named the Player of the Match.

Ravindra Jadeja was also brilliant. His knock of 86 runs and 199-run partnership with Ashwin in the first innings took India out of trouble. The veteran also took 5 wickets in the match. Kamran feels the India National Cricket Team can’t think of selecting their Playing XI without Ashwin and Jadeja.

“Aswhin was at his all-round best. He took six wickets and scored a hundred. He shared a match-winning stand with Ravindra Jadeja. Without these two, India can’t form a playing XI at home.”

Ashwin is now in the 8th place in the list of the highest wicket-takers in Tests. He went past Courtney Walsh’s tally of 519 scalps.