Pragyan Ojha suggests Chennai Test MoM could have been shared between two players

There were several candidates who could have received the man of the match award for their display in the second Test.

There were some great performances during the second Test match in Chennai against England. The first day belonged to Rohit Sharma, who hit a well-crafted 161 on a difficult batting track at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Day 2 and Day 3 were R Ashwin’s as he picked up a five-wicket haul and scored a century for his side. On Day 4, Axar Patel turned on the heat as he picked up five wickets in an innings on his Test debut.

India's Ravichandran Ashwin celebrates his century during the 3rd day of the 2nd test match against England at MA Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai. ((ANI/BCCI Photo))

There were several candidates who could have received the man of the match award for their display in the second Test. However, Ashwin received the award for his brilliant all-round display on his home ground. There aren’t many who will disagree with the decision to give Ashwin the MoM award.

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But, former India spinner Pragyan Ojha disagreed with the call as he wanted Rohit to receive the award for his knock of 161 as it turned the match in India’s favour on Day 1.

"It was Rohit Sharma for me. It is not because of anything but the way the game was poised. If you look at first innings was very important and everybody this wicket is gonna favour the bowler more than the batsmen and it deteriorated. Everybody will question saying that Ashwin got a brilliant hundred. Yes, he got a brilliant hundred but you have to look at it," Pragyan Ojha told Sports Today.

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"Does that hundred add up to India's win or loss? No, it doesn't because, by the time he got the hundred, India was far ahead. Ashwin applied himself, the way he played. Not taking any credit for him but the most important thing is that hundred from Rohit Sharma, that set the tone for the Test match. Imagine he got a 60 and see the scorecard and see what that second innings would have been. That would have been that much important but in the first innings, he made sure that the second innings is totally out of the picture. because they had that kind of lead," Ojha added.

The focus will now shift to the third Test that will be played with the Pink Ball in Ahmadabad.