Ashwin and Jadeja's underwhelming display contributed to India's first Test series defeat on home soil since 2012.
India skipper Rohit Sharma put his weight behind the spin twin of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja after they failed to capitalize on a spin-conducive surface, which contributed to the team’s first Test series defeat on home soil since 2012.
Despite the pitch offering assistance to spinners at the MCA Stadium in Pune, India were totally outclassed by the Kiwis as they lost the second Test by 113 runs to concede an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
The noteworthy aspect of this defeat was the underwhelming performance of their premier spinners, who were unable to make a mark on the game.
"They know (about) that. There's too much expectation on those two guys," Rohit said, when asked about the lack of control from the Indian spinners.
"Every game they play, they are expected to take wickets, run through the (opposition) team and win Test matches for us. I don't think that is fair," he added.
The Pune Test defeat on Saturday (October 26) marked the end of India’s 18 consecutive home Test series wins. This remarkable streak coincided with the emergence of Ashwin and Jadeja. While Ashwin made his debut in November 2011, Jadeja first played a Test in December 2012.
In home Tests where they have played together, Ashwin has picked up 326 wickets in 55 matches while Jadeja has claimed 225 scalps in 47 games.
Amid the criticism, Rohit Sharma defended the duo, saying that winning Tests is a collective responsibility.
"It's the responsibility of all of us to make sure that we get the Test wins, not just the two guys. Of course, by their standards, they know where they stand and what they haven't been able to do or what they have done really well," he said.
"Both of them have played so much cricket here and have (made) such huge contributions to our success, of having that home streak of 18 series wins, these two have played a major role in that.
"I'm not going to look into (it) too much, especially with those two guys. They know exactly what happens and sometimes they are allowed to have some bad games here and there and not go by that expectation that 'okay, this is the opportunity for me to take wickets and run through the opposition'. That's not going to happen every time," Rohit stated.
"You're talking about someone who's taking 500 (plus) wickets and 300 (plus) wickets respectively. They know exactly how they've got those wickets and how they have every time come out and won Test matches for us," he added.
While the captain heaped praise on Washington Sundar's 11-wicket haul in the Pune Test, he acknowledged that India will thoroughly review and analyse their overall bowling approach.
"Washy had a great game. I'm really proud of that. He's proud of that and we are happy with his performance. He bowled so well," Rohit said.
"(Mitchell) Santner kept the ball on the stumps and that is where the challenge happens. When you pitch it on the stumps, you don't know which one is going away, which one is keeping straight.
"That is something that we had to exploit a lot more as a bowling unit... to try and make them play as many as possible and pitch it more on the stumps. Those are the things that we will sit and discuss and we'll go through it and see where they are at with that," he said.
Rohit mentioned that Indian teams have set high standards over the years in home conditions, and this was the first instance in several years that the side was outplayed by the opposition.
"We have had (only) two games where we have had collapses. But are you even thinking (about) so many matches that we have won in India or not?" he asked.
"The batters have batted on challenging wickets and won matches. This is the first time we have not done well on such wickets and have not batted well. I think it is allowed, once in 12 years. If the collapses were happening over the last 12 years, we won't have won.
"We have set the expectations high - we have made it a habit for you, you are not at fault here - we have played such good cricket that the expectations have gone one level up," he continued.
"The expectations are that the Indian team cannot do anything wrong in India, but that is wrong. The opposition is also watching us and seeing what is it that we are doing to win so many matches. They come prepared too, so sometimes the margin is too less," he added.
(With TOI Inputs)