Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement from international cricket marks the end of an era in Indian cricket, particularly his iconic partnership with Ravindra Jadeja. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri lavished praise on Ashwin, calling him a “terrific matchwinner” and highlighting the synergy between the two spinners that propelled India to historic dominance in home Tests. The former Indian head coach claimed how the two veterans complemented each other with aplomb.
Ashwin-Jadeja: Partner-in-crimes in Test cricket
The Ashwin-Jadeja pair amassed 587 wickets in Tests, the most by any Indian bowling duo. Shastri emphasised how their collaboration bolstered their individual performances. “They complemented each other well and spurred each other on. A lot of Jadeja’s wickets in the last five-six years have come because of Ashwin and vice versa,” Shastri noted on the ICC Review.
When playing together, Ashwin and Jadeja averaged 22.32 and 20.91, respectively—markedly better than their averages when bowling solo. Their partnership, which began in 2012 against England, spanned over a decade and was instrumental in India winning every home Test series during that period.
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Shastri highlighted Ashwin’s relentless pursuit of excellence. “For me, it was his guile, his ability to adapt, and his hunger to excel. The way he got the ball to dip and drift in the last two-three years was remarkable,” Shastri said. “He wanted new tricks, practiced them hard, and mastered them. That’s what made him special.” With 537 Test wickets and an all-round contribution of six centuries, Ashwin’s legacy is unparalleled. “Anyone over 500 wickets in Test cricket is special,” Shastri added.
Ashwin and Jadeja bowled together for the last time against New Zealand in 2024, a series India lost—just as their journey began in 2012. But in between, they forged an unbroken streak of home Test victories, becoming almost unplayable at almost all the series. While Ashwin has now called time on his illustrious career, fans will have a chance to witness his partnership with Jadeja soon enough. After all, Ashwin was recently bought (Rs 9.75 cr) by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise at the IPL 2025 mega auction. He joins Jadeja, who is the joint-costliest player for CSK (Rs 18 cr).
