As many of his long-time teammates like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ishant Sharma, and Ajinkya Rahane have either retired or are no longer in the Indian Test squad, Ravindra Jadeja continues to defy age and expectations. At 36, the Saurashtra all-rounder is arguably in the best form of his career, proving once again why he’s considered one of the finest Test players in the world.
Jadeja’s Record-Breaking Series in England
Jadeja recently delivered a standout performance in a historic Test series against England, scoring 516 runs at an average of 86, including one century and five fifties. Despite challenging English conditions, he remained solid with the bat and proved his value with the ball as well, picking up seven crucial wickets.
With Rishabh Pant sidelined due to injury, Jadeja was appointed India’s vice-captain for the two-match home Test series against the West Indies. And in typical Jadeja fashion, he made an instant impact.
In the first Test in Ahmedabad, Jadeja played a match-winning role by scoring an unbeaten 104 and taking four wickets*, earning him the Player of the Match award.
Ashwin Responds to Jadeja’s Heartfelt Message
After his heroics, Jadeja shared in the post-match presentation that he misses his long-time spin partner Ravichandran Ashwin. The comment struck a chord with fans and drew a humorous, yet heartfelt, response from Ashwin on his YouTube channel.
“Usne jo wicket liye hain, usmein se mein 2-3 nikaal leta (I would’ve taken 2-3 of those wickets myself),” joked Ashwin. “He shouldn’t be missing me; what advantage is there he should be taking! Really happy for him, the way he is batting, the way he is becoming a bonafide legend of Test cricket.”
Ashwin later turned serious and acknowledged the emotional weight behind Jadeja’s words.
“After listening to Jadeja, I know he was showing his affection for me. More than anything else, I think he doesn’t have too many people to talk to. All the new boys now. The small-small talk between us, we can have when we reach a position of super-seniority, but you have to think before doing it with the newer boys,” Ashwin said.
He compared the feeling to when Cheteshwar Pujara retired, sharing how the camaraderie in the dressing room changes over time. “We sit together and talk about something, and when that person leaves, you miss them. I know what Jadeja was saying. But we will meet and talk sometime,” Ashwin concluded warmly.
