Ashwin's contribution as big as Rohit and Kohli's, says Tamim

Bangladesh cricketer Tamim Iqbal believes India's all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin is just as vital to the Indian team as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Ashwin delivered a remarkable performance in the opening Test against Bangladesh at his home ground, MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

In the first innings, Ashwin showcased his batting prowess by scoring a brilliant century (113 off 133 balls), rescuing India from a precarious 144/6 to post a total of 376. He followed up his batting heroics with a stellar bowling display, claiming 6/88 in Bangladesh's second innings, helping India bowl them out for 234 and secure a dominant 280-run victory.

"That was brilliant what he did. He was batting like a proper batter," Tamim said during an appearance on Jio Cinema. "I come from a different country. What I always hear about are the Virat Kohlis and Rohit Sharmas, but Ravichandran Ashwin is equally important in my eyes. We often only talk about them when they score centuries or take five or six wickets, but Ashwin's contribution to this Indian team is immense. It's as big as Rohit's and as big as Virat Kohli's."

Ashwin's exceptional display in the match also saw him register his 37th five-wicket haul in Test cricket, equalling the legendary Shane Warne for the joint second-highest number of Test fifers in history.

During the match, Ashwin also surpassed West Indian great Courtney Walsh's tally of 519 Test wickets, moving to eighth place on the all-time list of leading Test wicket-takers, with 522 wickets from 101 matches.

It marked the fourth time in Ashwin's career that he has scored a century and taken a five-wicket haul in the same Test match. He is now only behind former England all-rounder Sir Ian Botham, who achieved the feat on five occasions.

Ashwin's remarkable all-round performance earned him his tenth Player of the Match award in Test cricket, and his second consecutive such accolade at his home ground in Chennai.

For India, Ashwin's contributions continue to reinforce his status as one of the most impactful players in the history of the game, and as Tamim emphasised, his value to the team is on par with India's most celebrated superstars.