R Ashwin equals Shane Warne's legendary record, surpasses Hadlee with 37th fifer as India dominates Bangladesh in 1st Test with a 280-run victory

India achieved a commanding 280-run win over Bangladesh in the opening Test match in Chennai on Sunday, gaining a 1-0 advantage in the series. Despite being set a challenging target of 515 runs, Bangladesh struggled to cope with the pressure, with skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto being the only bright spot with a brave innings of 82. The Indian bowlers were relentless, causing the rest of the batting lineup to collapse, leading to Bangladesh being dismissed for 234 in their second innings.

Ravichandran Ashwin was the standout performer for India, spinning a web around the Bangladesh batters to finish with impressive figures of 6-88. His brilliance ensured that India maintained their stronghold on the match after setting a massive total.

With his 37th five-wicket haul in the longest format – eventually securing brilliant figures of 6/88 in 21 overs – Ashwin equalled the legendary former Australian spinner Shane Warne. Warne ended his career with 37 fifers to his name, too, and Ashwin has equalled the Aussie spin wizard in his 101th Test. In addition, Ashwin surpassed New Zealand great Richard Hadlee, who had 36 five-wicket hauls to his name.

Ashwin is now only behind Sri Lanka legend Muttiah Muralitharan, who maintains an incredible lead at the top. He has 30 more fifers than the second-placed Ashwin.

Bangladesh's hopes of mounting a substantial fightback were briefly kindled as captain Shanto and Shakib Al Hasan displayed solid some resistance in the closing moments of the third day. Resuming on 158-4, the pair showed grit in the opening hour, frustrating India's bowlers. However, skipper Rohit Sharma called upon local hero Ravichandran Ashwin, and the off-spinner struck immediately, dismissing Shakib for 25 with a sharp bat-pad catch taken by Yashasvi Jaiswal at short leg.

From there, Bangladesh's innings quickly unravelled. Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Litton Das with a smart catch in the slips before returning to end Shanto's valiant knock of 82. With Shanto's departure, Bangladesh’s collapse accelerated, and the visitors folded well before lunch, conceding defeat with five sessions to spare. India's comprehensive win puts them ahead with a 1-0 lead heading into the second and final Test, which begins in Kanpur on Friday.