India's ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin disclosed the name of the Indian cricketer he is envious of. In a candid conversation on Sportstar's ‘Wednesdays with WV Raman’, Ashwin while highlighting the qualities of Ravindra Jadeja said that he is an exceptional player acknowledging his cricketing intelligence. Ashwin, who stands as India's second-highest wicket-taker in Tests with an impressive 489 scalps, is widely regarded as one of the finest off-spinners to have graced the sport. Known for his direct and honest opinions, Ashwin described Virat Kohli as the most ‘cerebral cricketer’ in the world today. However, when it comes to envy, Ashwin revealed that his teammate Jadeja takes the top spot.
“Jadeja’s journey and mine are extremely contrasting. Jadeja can put a ball on the same spot day in and day out, be extremely athletic on the field, be extremely simple with the bat and be a million dollars on most days. I cannot afford to do that,” Ashwin said.
“For some reason, for a long time, I couldn’t express this to him. But I found a way to do so recently. There’s a constant tussle between us as well about who is better than the other. But the fact is that we don’t exist without the other. Without Jadeja there is no Ashwin, without Ashwin, there’s no Jadeja. But the fact is that he is extremely good at keeping it simple, not overthinking or being curious."
“He cannot be who he is if he is constantly overthinking. This is a classic case of two people plying similar trades and finding success in their own ways. Curiosity worked for me, but it need not be everyone’s cup of tea. My environment was very supportive of me being curious and asking questions. [This] might not be the case with others,” the 37-year-old further added.
For over a decade, the formidable duo of Ashwin and Jadeja has formed the bedrock of India's Test cricket spin bowling attack. Their exceptional all-round skills have been instrumental in India's remarkable achievements in the red-ball format over the past ten years. Together, Ashwin and Jadeja have formed a formidable spin duo that has terrorised opposition batsmen in Test cricket.
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