R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are counted among two of the greatest spinners India has ever produced. Their bowling has been so good for the last decade or so, that fans often forget that they have a combined 9 centuries in Test cricket.
Ravindra Jadeja has 3036 runs with 4 centuries and 294 wickets in 72 Tests for India, while R Ashwin has 516 wickets in 100 Tests and 3309 runs to go with that with 5 centuries.
Ashwin sits second on the list of most Test wickets by an Indian bowler, behind Anil Kumble, while Ravindra Jadeja ranks seventh.
While both have wreaked havoc in Indian conditions by frequently playing together in the Indian playing XI, India always has the difficult decision of leaving one of them out in international Tests. Ashwin is always the fall man.
During an interview, R Ashwin was asked about the situation and he responded: "You are talking about jealousy.”
“Jadeja is the most talented cricketer I’ve seen; everything about him is natural. Over the years, our relationship has improved as we’ve learned to understand each other’s differences. I tend to think a lot, whereas he does not. Understanding took time, but now we have a strong working relationship,” Ashwin added.
Ashwin stressed that he had no bitter sentiments about Jadeja's success. Ashwin emphasized that such sentiments are motivated by substitution rather than individual merit. Ashwin underlined the importance of clear communication within the team.
“It’s not Jadeja’s fault that I’m not playing. I don’t have the kind of jealousy where I would wish to keep him out to play myself. The notion of jealousy is a condition we need to overcome.
It’s crucial to handle players who are not playing with clarity and reassurance. If someone is replaced, it’s not about fault but about opportunity and team dynamics,” he said. He acknowledged that while he may not match Jadeja’s exceptional fielding, his aspiration should be to improve continually. “The focus should be on internal inspiration rather than external comparisons,” he explained.
Ashwin criticized the tendency to blame politics for team selections and said: “We often attribute selection issues to politics rather than personal merit. It’s essential to focus on honesty and self-improvement.”
(News18 inputs)
