Nearly a year after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma stepped away from Test cricket, questions over how and why they retired continue to linger. Many fans still believe the decision may not have been entirely theirs, pointing to possible pressure from the selectors or the team management.
'He is one of the most valuable players in India.'
Ashwin, speaking on his YouTube channel, lashed out at England's actions and Stokes' apparent frustration.
It has become difficult for Ashwin to be even considered in the present scenario.
India spin great R Ashwin shares his insights on the upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan, expressing keen interest in Harsh Dubey's potential debut. He also discusses the roles of Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar in the spin attack and backs captain Shubman Gill to replicate his overseas batting success at home, attributing it to improved technique and leadership.
I never thought about playing Test cricket, believed white ball was my forte: Jadeja
The duo collected 16 wickets in the Delhi Test to add to their 15 in the first Test at Nagpur as India took a 2-0 lead in the four-Test series.
Jadeja's return along with Akash Deep replacing Harshit Rana, is seen as a bold move that could either turn the series around or backfire spectacularly.
Ashwin has 20 scores of fifty or more in Tests, three more than Sir Richard Hadlee, while recording the same number of five wicket hauls as the great Kiwi in the format (36 five wicket hauls), solidifying his status as one of the format's greatest all-rounders.
The other Indian bowlers who have taken 300 Test wickets or more include Anil Kumble (619), R Ashwin (524), Kapil Dev (434), Harbhajan Singh (417), Ishant Sharma (311) and Zaheer Khan (311).
Rohit Sharma gave a huge compliment to India's spin-bowling pair of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja
'Hunting in pairs' is an often-used maxim about fast bowlers, but Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have given a new spin to it, consistently troubling the opposition in more ways than one.
Images from Day 3 in the first Test between India and Sri Lanka, in Mohali, on Sunday.
Switching formats in a short span of time is never easy, concedes Kuldeep Yadav and the senior India spinner hopes that players coming off a gruelling IPL season have prepared well for this week's one-off Test against Afghanistan just as he did with extended red-ball practice.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are India's stormtroopers at home, tossing over opponents like pioneer dolls and their numbers validate their supremacy too.
The story of Ravichandrean Ashwin remains incomplete without the mention of Ravindra Jadeja.
Despite backing from the team management, Washington Sundar's inconsistent usage with both bat and ball has raised questions over his undefined role, with Ravichandran Ashwin urging India to utilise him more clearly as a genuine all-rounder.
Rohit had no hesitation in admitting that Ashwin and Jadeja have been the primary reasons for India's success in the last decade.
India's spin department is in 'transition' and the team management is in the process of assessing a pool of young bowlers who can potentially graduate to a higher level, said spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule.
The dream run began with the pair of Ashwin, who made his debut in November 2011, and Jadeja, who played his first Test in December 2012, coming together to form a lethal spin combination.
Jadeja's assessment of the track was also an indicator that possibly Ravichandran Ashwin has lost a bit of pace in his deliveries.
Among other developments, middle order batter Shreyas Iyer will miss the next three Tests due to injury.
Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar struck unbeaten centuries as India staged a superb fightback on the final day to draw the fourth Test against England.
Ravichandran Ashwin exposed India batters' lack of quality to battle ball tweakers by claiming that if legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar or past domestic heroes Amol Muzumdar, the India women's team head coach and Mithun Manhas had played against spinners on such a track, the Test would have gone to four days, unlike India's harrowing 30-run defeat against South Africa at Eden Gardens.
Former India spinner R Ashwin has called for a shift away from the superstar culture prevalent in Indian cricket, urging for a more grounded approach.
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.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni made the players feel comfortable by backing them, while Virat Kohli's aggression and uncompromising standards proved vital in moments of crisis.
Virat Kohli discusses his time as captain of the Indian Test cricket team and how a shared sense of responsibility among players contributed to their success.
India registered their biggest-ever innings win in Test cricket, dominating Afghanistan in the one-off game, with debutant left-arm spinner Manav Suthar impressing with a seven-wicket match haul.
But even so, Jadeja's name is rarely mentioned in the same breath as some of the aforesaid all-rounders.
Rohit Sharma expressed frustration and disappointment with senior player Ravichandran Ashwin's fielding efforts.
India will take on Afghanistan in a one-off Test from June 6 onwards at New Chandigarh. This comes after the Men in Blue suffered a 0-2 clean sweep loss to South Africa at home last year, marking back-to-back series whitewashes in two years in a row, after a 0-3 whitewash loss to New Zealand in 2024, which marked the end of India's 12-year unbeaten streak at home.
India dominates ICC Test Rankings
Sunil Gavaskar believes Axar Patel's all-round skills and cricketing intelligence will make him one of India's greatest players.
Delhi Capitals ended their three-match losing streak with a seven-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in the IPL in Jaipur on Friday.
Jadeja missed the opening Test match after complaining of 'upper back spasm' during the morning of the first day at the Supersport Park.
Mike Atherton feels India's spinners will win it for them
'Constant changes to the playing XI, batting orders, and frequent rotations prevent stability.'
Fans also took to X, calling for Head Coach Gambhir's sacking.
Star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has called for an improved performance from India's batting unit in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, saying the lack of runs from the top-order builds pressure on the lower-order.
