If one has to analyse Ashwin the cricketer, it is very difficult to ignore Ashwin, the person, who had a very independent mind and a brain that probably ticked 24x7. He believed in de-construction of his art and became craftier one ball at a time.
Kotian took four wickets as India A restricted South Africa A to 299 for 9 on the first day of the opening four-day match at the BCCI CoE grounds in Bengaluru on Thursday.
An astute reader of the game both on and off the field, Ashwin might have gauged what was in store going forward and that perhaps made it easier for him to take a call.
While the white-ball trophy cabinet kept getting heavier, Team India's fortunes in Test cricket swung wildly between hope and despair in 2025.
Rohit Sharma became the seventh Indian to complete 100 catches in One-Day Internationals, while young speedster Harshit Rana went level with decorated spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for the record of most wickets for India after a player's first eight ODIs, in the third and last match of the series against Australia, in Sydney, on Saturday.
Ravichandran Ashwin returned home on Thursday after his shock international retirement in the middle of a Test series in Australia
An eyewitness of the incident said that around 20 people managed to get out of the bus as it caught fire, but others were unable to escape.
The aura of home advantage -- long regarded as a hallmark of India's Test side -- seemed secure. But in barely over a year, that fortress has not just cracked, it has collapsed, raising uncomfortable questions about strategy, selection, and temperament.
Responding to India's squad selection for the home series against West Indies, former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan opined that pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah could have been rested for the series in order to groom a young fast bowler.
Jasprit Bumrah bettered spin stalwart Ravichandran Ashwin's all-time rating-point record by an Indian in the latest ICC rankings.
Ashwin is focused on taking it one day at a time.
Spin great Harbhajan Singh said India don't have a specialist off-spinner for Test cricket.
'I guess the thinking going into the last Test, we wanted to strengthen the batting'
The once familiar sight of nimble-footed, whippywristed Indian batters dominating spin looks a distant memory, replaced by the horror of watching South Africa off-spinner Simon Harmer wreak havoc by taking 17 wickets over the two Tests.
The Indian women's team is set to leave for New Delhi from Mumbai on Tuesday for a special meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to celebrate their World Cup triumph.
'Why stop a guy (from playing in Big Bash League) if he can't make it to the Test side, get a level C or level D contract?'
'Constant changes to the playing XI, batting orders, and frequent rotations prevent stability.'
Shami puts Bengal on top of points table with easy win vs Services
R Ashwin says he has figured out ways to tackle Australian batting mainstay Steve Smith in the upcoming five-match Test series
Cheteshwar Pujara refuses to believe India's recent poor record at home is because of transition.
Having made their Test debuts in the same year, Nathan Lyon and Ravichandran Ashwin will face each other for the eighth time in the longest format during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Ignored by the national selectors for T20 set-up, Yashasvi Jaiswal sent another stern reminder to the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee with a blistering 48-ball century as defending champions Mumbai crushed Haryana by four wickets in a high-scoring Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Super League B match, in Ambi, Pune, on Sunday.
'Many things that are happening are not good for Indian cricket.'
Mhatre's maiden ton, Dube blitz fire Mumbai to seven-wicket win over Vidarbha
'I think he is going to carry Yuvraj's legacy forward. He is a phenomenal talent.'
Speaking on The Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan, Mukund, who represented India in seven Tests from 2011-17, said: "I think Shubman has it in him to become an all-format captain, but I do not think India should have an all-format captain anymore."
Nayar believes that the whole team has bought into Rohit and Gambhir's philosophy, including the two spin greats.
Could the Chennai Test against Bangladesh this week be Ravichandran Ashwin's last Test in front of his home fans?
'When you are playing on spin-friendly pitches, you need to prepare differently.'
Dubey said he did not try anything different for his record wicket haul but credited the feat to getting a regular run in the premier domestic tournament.
Even Ravichandran Ashwin on his YouTube channel had said that both of them might need to play a bit of domestic cricket to get into the groove and could have actually played the India A series.
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.
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.
Ashwin's observation was spot on because in earlier days, umpires hardly gave a batter out if he had plonked his front foot forward, using pad as the first line of defence while tucking the bat behind the pads.
'Sometimes it might look wrong in the fans' eyes, but please don't twist things or create narratives that aren't even close to the truth.'
Mitchell Starc has paid a glorious tribute to the just-retired India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin
India and South Africa will lock horns in a two-match Test series from November 14, with Kolkata and Guwahati playing hosts.
K L Rahul on Saturday conceded that Indian batters' repeated struggles against spin, especially on home tracks, remain a concern.
Ashwin wants this "unexpected hero" to surprise against Pakistan during Asia Cup
Australian star all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is hopeful of regaining fitness in time for the latter half of the upcoming T20 International series against India after undergoing surgery on his fractured right wrist.
