'We have a...' Ravi Ashwin opens up on his working relationship with Ravindra Jadeja

Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are one of the most successful Indian bowling pairs in test cricket.

Veteran cricketer Ravi Ashwin opened up on his working relationship with teammate Ravindra Jadeja. The duo of Ashwin and Jadeja is considered India’s one of the greatest spin bowling combinations.

Both the senior cricketers are in the list of the top 10 highest wicket takers for the Indian cricket team across all three formats. Ashwin has taken 744 wickets in 281 matches across all three formats. The off-spinner is behind Anil Kumble’s tally of 953 wickets.

Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja is placed sixth with 568 wickets in 343 games for India across all formats.

The spin bowling duo is one of the major reasons why India have been so dominant in the last 10 years on their home soil. However, in overseas tests, Indian management has always made tough choice to leave out one of Ashwin or Jadeja from the playing XI. Jadeja is often preferred over Ashwin in the Indian playing XI in overseas tests.

You are talking about jealousy: Ravi Ashwin

In a recent interview with journalist Vimal Kumar, Ashwin was asked about how he deals with this predicament of sitting out in India’s playing XI because of Jadeja.

To which Ashwin said, “You are talking about Jealousy,” before he went on to explain how people’s minds are conditioned to think a certain way if a cricketer is preferred over the other.

Ashwin hailed Jadeja’s natural talent in all three departments. The off-spinner also said that his relationship with the all-rounder has improved over the years.

“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 said.

It’s not Jadeja’s fault that I’m not playing: Ravichandran Ashwin

The 37-year-old further clarified that he has no jealousy with Jadeja’s success. Ashwin stressed that the focus should be on self-improvement.

“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 just to play myself. The notion of jealousy is a conditioning we need to overcome,” he explained.

“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. The focus should be on internal inspiration rather than external comparisons. We often attribute selection issues to politics rather than personal merit. It’s essential to focus on honesty and self-improvement,” Ashwin added.

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