Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have left their imprint on Indian cricket history. Individually, both are among India’s top ten wicket-takers, with Ashwin second only to the great Anil Kumble, and Jadeja seventh, surpassing the great Bishen Singh Bedi.
When asked how he handles this situation in an interview, Ashwin responded, “You are talking about jealousy,” before explaining how people’s minds are conditioned to think a certain way if one player is preferred over another.
“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.
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.
“I don’t have the kind of jealousy”- Ravichandran Ashwin on competition with Ravindra Jadeja for a spot in India XI
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 fallen man.
Ravichandran Ashwin clarified that he holds no ill feelings towards Jadeja’s success. Ashwin underlined that such attitudes are driven by the perception of replacement rather than individual quality. Ashwin emphasized the value of clear communication among 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 just to play myself. The notion of jealousy is a conditioning 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,” Ashwin said.
He acknowledged that while he may not match Jadeja’s exceptional fielding, the aspiration should be to continually improve.
“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.”
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