Not Indian Cricket or IPL!! Rohit Sharma reveals the tournament that helped R Ashwin improve his batting

India captain Rohit Sharma was full of praises for the veteran offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin after the latter's Player of the Match-winning performance in the first Test between India and Bangladesh in Chennai. Rohit also lauded Rishabh Pant after his brilliant return to Test cricket.

Ravichandran Ashwin had a brilliant match on his home ground as he smashed 113 off 133 balls with 11 fours and 2 sixes in India's first innings. Later, he also picked up a six-wicket haul in the second innings of Bangladesh to wrap things off.

Also read: India Test squad for Bangladesh Test in Kanpur announced after win in the Chennai Test

Rohit Sharma heaps praise on Ravichandran Ashwin

After the match, Rohit Sharma was happy and satisfied to get the result in his favor in the first match of the new season. Rohit was happy with the way the team performed and lauded Ashwin for his brilliant performance in the match.

"He's (Ravichandran Ashwin) 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. He had some fun bating in the TNPL," Rohit Sharma said at the post-match presentation.

Ashwin was quite brilliant on his home ground with both bat and ball. He came to bat when India were precariously placed at 144-6 in the first innings. But the veteran stitched a brilliant partnership with Ravindra Jadeja to bail India out of trouble.

Rohit Sharma speaks on Rishabh Pant's Test return

The Indian skipper also shared his views on Rishabh Pant who had a great match. Rohit was particularly happy that Pant made an impact straightaway despite playing Test cricket after a long time.

"He's been through some really tough times. 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 Sharma stated.

The Chennai Test was Rishabh Pant's first Test match since his life-threatening accident in December 2022. Since his return, he has played T20I and ODI cricket but this was his Test comeback. Pant scored 39 off 52 in the first innings and helped India get out of early trouble.

The wicketkeeper-batter then scored a blistering 109 off 128 balls in the second innings, thus marking his Test return finely. He smashed 13 fours and 4 sixes during his knock.

Pant's good form is a great sign for India ahead of a busy Test season ahead. With Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel, India now has two high-quality wicketkeepers who can produce match-winning performances in international cricket.

Rohit Sharma on India's bowling

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma was also asked about India's complete bowling performance in the match. He also spoke about the red soil pitch and the need to be patient on such wickets.

"No matter what the conditions are, we want to build the team around that (strong bowling). 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 Sharma said.

"The red soil pitch always has something to offer. 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 Sharma added.

Indian bowlers had a brilliant match overall as they knocked Bangladesh out for just 149 in the first innings which put Bangladesh way behind the game. Jasprit Bumrah led the way with 4-50 while Siraj, Akash Deep, and Jadeja picked up 2 wickets each.

In the second innings, Bangladesh showed some fight through their captain but was left to do too much in the end. They were bowled out for 234 as India's spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja ran through the batting line-up to help India take a 1-0 lead.

The next Test will be played at Kanpur and will begin from September 27. India will be aiming to complete a clean sweep while Bangladesh will be looking for a miraculous return to level the series and finish on a high.