'There was a bit of panic': KL Rahul on mood in Indian dressing room before Shreyas Iyer-R Ashwin stand

Ravichandran Ashwin and Shreyas Iyer prevented India from falling to their first-ever loss to Bangladesh in a Test match with a 71-run eighth-wicket partnership.

India managed to keep a spirited Bangladesh at bay to secure a win in the second Test in Dhaka and thus take a 2-0 series win. India lost seven wickets in a heap while chasing a target of 145 and the hosts clearly had the upper hand after the first hour of the first session on Day 4.

Ravichandran Ashwin and Shreyas Iyer prevented India from falling to their first-ever Test defeat to Bangladesh (AP)

However, Shreyas Iyer and Ravichandran Ashwin steadied things for the visitors before seeing India over the line. The pair put up an unbeaten partnership of 71 runs off 105 balls, with Ashwin ending the match on a score of 42 off 62 and Shreyas on 29 off 46. Captain KL Rahul, who himself had a forgettable series with the bat, admitted that there were a few nerves in the dressing room at the time Ashwin and Shreyas got together in the middle.

“Tough game and happy that we got the job done. There was some pressure and nervousness in the dressing room but really happy that Ashwin and Shreyas got that partnership and got us that victory. Conditions were tough but I guess that is what makes Test cricket tough. We like playing the game like that. A tough game but something that is memorable. The victory is very sweet," he said in his post-match press conference.

Iyer's innings capped off a consistent show from the middle-order batter throughout the series. He had scored 86 in the first Test and a counter-attacking 87 in the first innings of the second and while it is Ashwin who struck the ball to the boundary more often towards the end of the match, Iyer hogged the strike and upped the ante in the initial stages of the partnership which was Bangladesh still had their tails up.

"When someone is performing consistently, it is very heartening to see. Shreyas has been around the team for a long time and he's had to wait for his opportunities. He has really grabbed them with both hands whenever he got it and he is doing the job for the team. The way he played today was phenomenal. He made it look very easy. There was a lot of pressure, a little of panic in the dressing room.

“But it didn't look like there was any panic while we were watching Shreyas bat with Ashwin. They had a really good partnership. He is someone who has been doing really well in the last almost two years. He was always there but then he had that injury and had to go away from the game for a bit. Then he had to wait his turn again. He has been really patient. His journey obviously has not been easy, no one's has in the team and it is really good to see that he is utilising all the chances he gets. The way he is batting is just phenomenal,” said Rahul.