Veteran all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin fished the Indian cricket team out of trouble with a gritty century against Bangladesh on the opening day of the first Test of the 2024 series in Chennai on Thursday.

Left reeling at 144/6 in the first innings, R Ashwin joined hands with Ravindra Jadeja to forge an unbeaten partnership of 195 runs for the seventh wicket.

Ashwin, who plays for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, ended the day at 102 not out in just 112 balls, striking at a rate of 91.07. His innings included 10 fours and two sixes. It was the 38-year-old sixth Test century. Jadeja was unbeaten on 86 at stumps.

It was Ashwin’s second century at the M.A Chidambaram Stadium, his home ground.

“Always special to play here,” Ashwin said. “That I'm coming off a T20 tournament (Tamil Nadu Premier League), I've always been giving the ball a waft. But on a surface like this, it's better to go hard like Rishabh (Pant) does.

“It's an old-school Chennai surface with bounce and carry. When there is width, you can give it a tonk. Jadeja was of real help, there was a point where I was sweating and tiring but Jaddu helped me through the phase. 

“He's been solid and one of our best batters. He told me we don't have to convert twos into threes, which helped me.”

Put into bat first, India were struggling at 34/3 before Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant steadied the ship before the wicketkeeper-batter departed at 96/4.

Yashasvi Jaiswal exited in the second session for a well made 56 (118 balls, 9x4) and KL Rahul departed soon after, leaving the Indian cricket team at 144/6.

Both Jadeja and Ashwin went on the counterattack. Ashwin brought up his 50 in just 58 balls while Jadeja took just 73 deliveries for his half century.

Ashwin brought up his hundred in 108 balls. The 195-run partnership between the two took just 226 balls, at a strike rate of 86.28.

India ended the day at 339/6 in 80 overs.