Ravindra Jadeja recently spoke about Ravichandran Ashwin's unexpected retirement from international cricket. Ashwin had made the surprising announcement right after the third Test between India and Australia at the Gabba, leaving everyone, including Jadeja, shocked.
Ravindra Jadeja, who has shared the field with Ravichandran Ashwin for years, was surprised especially as the two spinners had spent the day together in Brisbane, but the former Indian all-rounder gave no indication of such a big decision to drop him .
He didn't even give me a hint: Ravindra Jadeja on Ravichandran Ashwin's retirement
Remarkably, Jadeja and Ashwin formed an exceptional partnership for India and dominated Test cricket over the years together. They played 58 matches together, taking a total of 587 wickets, making them India's most successful bowling pair in Test cricket, surpassing legendary spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh.
Despite years of camaraderie and partnership, Ravindra Jadeja learned of Ravichandran Ashwin's decision to retire from international cricket five minutes before the press conference where he delivered the shocker after India drew the third Test against Australia at The Gabba .
Ravindra Jadeja told reporters at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Saturday (December 21): “I found out about the retirement at the last minute, five minutes before the press conference. It was shocking. We spent the whole day together and he didn't even give me a hint. I got to know at the last minute. We all know how Ashwin's mind works.”
Ravichandran Ashwin played with me as a mentor on the field: Ravindra Jadeja
Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja acknowledged the significant impact Ravichandran Ashwin had on his career. The Indian all-rounder highlighted how Ashwin played a dual role as both mentor and bowling partner on the field, guiding him through various match situations.
The left-arm spinner also recalled how they often exchanged strategies and information about the pitch, match conditions and plans to tackle the opposition batsmen. He admitted that Ashwin's absence would leave a significant void in the dynamic of the Indian cricket team and he would miss his bowling partner.
Despite the off-spinner's emotional withdrawal, Jadeja stressed the importance of moving on and adapting to changes. He also hopes that India will find a strong replacement who can contribute as both a spinner and an all-rounder.
Let's hope we get a good replacement for him: Ravindra Jadeja
Jadeja further added, “He played with me like a mentor on the field. Over the years, he played with me as a bowling partner. We kept texting each other about pitch conditions, match situation and plans against the batsmen. I will definitely miss all these things. Hopefully we'll have a good replacement for him as a spinner and all-rounder.”
Well, Ashwin and Jadeja's partnership has ended in the international arena, but fans can look forward to their reunion in IPL 2025 when they will feature together for Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Jadeja, who was retained by CSK for ₹18 crore, will team up with Ashwin, who returned to the franchise after the five-time champions snapped him up for ₹9.75 crore in the IPL 2025 auction.