All-rounder Washington Sundar was on Sunday added to the India squad for the remaining two Tests against New Zealand.
As many as four world-class match-winners are expected to bid adieu to the game one by one in the next couple of years and Gautam Gambhir is in an unenviable position as head coach.
Devon Conway had a lively moment or two with a heated Mohammed Siraj after driving him for a boundary in the 15th over.
Despite the challenging build-up, Gambhir said he is "extremely confident" of retaining the Border Gavaskar Trophy. The players will hope to be as confident as they prepare for the fight to keep their World Test Final chances alive.
Ashwin's performance earned him praise and humour from fans online. Many playfully acknowledged his transformation from a renowned bowler to a reliable middle-order batsman.
Jadeja's assessment of the track was also an indicator that possibly Ravichandran Ashwin has lost a bit of pace in his deliveries.
'Obviously, he's a guy who has scored 9,000-plus Test runs, which is pretty mind-blowing, but for us it was a huge wicket.'
Ravichandran Ashwin has the second most wickets by an active player in Test cricket. Australia's Nathan Lyon leads the list with 530 wickets and Ashwin can overtake him in the second Test in Kanpur.
Pat Cummins took five wickets as Australia maintained their unblemished record in 'Pink-ball' Tests with a thumping 10-wicket victory over India in the second Test in Adelaide on Sunday to level the five-match series 1-1 in just two-and-a-half days.
Head smashed a swashbuckling hundred to fetch Australia a first innings lead of 157 at his home ground the Adelaide Oval.
Home hero Ashwin dished out a match-winning all-round performance with a century and a six-wicket haul to help India thrash Bangladesh by 280 runs in the opening Test in Chennai.
Questions are mounting on when the 37-year-old India captain will finally call time on his Test career.
The 38-year-old played the day-night Test in Adelaide and picked up one wicket.
India Head Coach Gautam Gambhir finds himself caught between a rock and hard place.
Former wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik believes the onus for the Test series loss to New Zealand rests with the senior Indian players.
Images from Day 2 of the 3rd Test played between India and New Zealand, in Mumbai, on Saturday.
Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant and pacer Mohammed Siraj too faced local bowlers and significant amount of throwdowns.
Ashwin feels the rule, introduced in the 2023 season which allows all IPL teams to substitute a player -- batter or bowler -- during their respective innings as per the demands of the match, makes the game fairer.
Why did he overbowl Siraj and underbowl Ashwin?
Woeful India dismissed for 46 as New Zealand pacers run riot
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 2nd Test played between India and Bangladesh in Kanpur, on Friday.
The opening day drew more than 50,000 fans making it the fourth highest attendance ever for a day of Test cricket at the Adelaide Oval.
The Men's Selection Committee has picked India's 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match IDFC FIRST Bank Test series against New Zealand.
IMAGES from Day 4 of the 2nd Test played between India and Bangladesh in Kanpur, on Monday.
The Perth Test marks Bumrah's second stint as a stand-in captain, having also led his country against England in 2022, and he could not have been dealt a tougher hand.
R Ashwin says he has figured out ways to tackle Australian batting mainstay Steve Smith in the upcoming five-match Test series
Washington Sundar jumped seven places to move to 46th on the same list for Test bowlers.
On a frenetic day four, Rohit Sharma's men quickly bowled out Bangladesh and then unleashed batting mayhem at the Green Park Stadium scoring at a rate unprecedented in Test cricket.
For Shastri, India's recent successes in Test cricket have often been defined by the stubbornness and resilience of the tail-enders.
IMAGES from the fourth day of the first Test between India and Bangladesh at the Chepauk in Chennai on Sunday
India fight back against Australia as 17 wickets tumble on opening day
'Don't let anyone dull your sparkle,' she advises.
Panesar believes Lyon is a better bowler than Ashwin because of the dominance he has imposed in Australia, where spinners struggle to find assistance from the pitch.
A cricketer only calls time when he knows that he has had "enough" and something must have snapped within Ravichandran Ashwin when he decided to announce his retirement , former India opener WV Raman
Yashasvi Jaiswal took a stunning left-handed catch in the slips to remove Zakir before Ashwin, who smashed a match-defining century in the first innings, produced a three-wicket burst.
But even so, Jadeja's name is rarely mentioned in the same breath as some of the aforesaid all-rounders.
Ashwin and Jadeja together have grabbed over 800 Test wickets, and are among the most experienced bowling pairs in world cricket at present.
A turner in Pune exposed the soft underbelly of Indian batters' technique against slow bowling but as per the current team's philosophy, it has decided to take the bull by its horns by asking for a turner where the ball might turn at right angles from first hour.
South Africa quick Kagiso Rabada has dethroned Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah as the top bowler in the latest ICC Men's Test Player Rankings released on Wednesday.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances