"He should not be missing me" - R Ashwin reacts to Ravindra Jadeja's endearing statement ahead of IND vs WI 2025 2nd Test

Former India player R Ashwin was a notable miss for Ravindra Jadeja during the recently concluded first Test against the West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, despite the team running riot with a win by an innings and 140 runs. It marked the first home Test without the ace spinner since 2010 as the Men in Blue fielded a trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar instead.

Following the contest, Ravindra Jadeja, who was the player of the match for his four wickets and first innings century, admitted that he missed having Ravichandran Ashwin on the field with him.

"Obviously, we miss him. Ash has contributed so much to Indian cricket for so many years. He has been a match-winner. Playing a Test in India without Ash, somewhere it feels Ash would bowl now, but then the realisation comes that he is not there," the all-rounder said during the press conference after the first Test against West Indies.

In reply, Ashwin said that Jadeja should not realistically miss him since his presence would have meant that the left-arm spinner ended up with fewer wickets, but appreciated his former teammate's sentiment.

"If I was playing, I would have taken 2-3 wickets from the ones he took, so he should not be missing me. Jitna faayda hai utna lena chahiye (He should capitalise on whatever there is). He is becoming a bona fide legend of Test cricket, I am really happy for him," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Ashwin also implied that Jadeja could be feeling a little lost in the dressing room in the transition period amid the retirements of several stalwarts.

"After hearing his comments, I know that he is showing affection, but more than anything else, I don't think he has anyone to talk to now. All of them are new boys. There used to be small talk between us, and you reach a level of super seniority, you have to think before making small talk to the youngsters. He must be thinking whether the younsgters would judge him, but if Ash was here he will not judge. When Puji retired, I felt the same, we used to sit together," he added.

The Indian red-ball team has seen a major overhaul in the recent past, with major names like Ravichandran Ashwin, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, all announcing their retirements in a short span. Moreover, other veterans like Ajinkya Rahane and Mohammad Shami, who were once regulars in the team, are also arguably not in the scheme of things anymore.

Ravindra Jadeja rose to the 25th spot in ICC Rankings for Test batters after recent heroics

The veteran all-rounder is currently on a major purple patch as far as his red-ball batting is concerned. His recent hundred in the series opener against the West Indies, was preceded by a landmark tour in England, where he was the fourth leading run scorer with 516 runs in five matches at an average of 86, which included five fifties and a hundred.

His recent performances saw him rise to a career-best 25th rank in the ICC Rankings for Test batters. In the latest update, he had a rating of 644 points.

The interim vice-captain will be next seen in the upcoming second Test against the West Indies, scheduled to begin on Friday, October 10, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.