'Playing at home without Ashwin feels different': Jadeja on India’s dominance, fitness, and future stars

NEW DELHI: India’s formidable home dominance in Test cricket, built on the extraordinary duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, came into sharp focus on Saturday as the senior all-rounder led India to a crushing innings-and-140-run victory over the West Indies in Ahmedabad. Jadeja starred with a scintillating 104 not out and 4/54, earning ‘Player of the Match’ honours, but he candidly admitted he missed his long-time spin partner.

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“Obviously, we miss him. Ash has contributed so much to Indian cricket for so many years. He has been a match-winner,” Jadeja said with a smile when asked about Ashwin’s absence. Reflecting on India’s first home Test since Ashwin’s retirement, he added: “Playing a Test in India without Ash, somewhere it feels Ash would bowl now but then the realisation comes that he is not there.”

Jadeja praised the team’s emerging spin options, saying Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar had played enough games to not be considered youngsters, but acknowledged the different combination posed challenges. “In future, you will say Jaddu is not there but then someone else would come along and that has to happen. This will go on,” he noted.


On India’s declaration, Jadeja explained the tactical thinking: “We were thinking about the declaration last night because we thought on this wicket, 280 plus runs would be good enough.” He also reflected on his vice-captaincy tag, emphasising that it has not changed his approach. “Nothing like that. I have been playing the way I have been playing for the past so many years. But whenever someone asks me, what we can do, what the tactics should be… I always give my inputs,” he said.

The all-rounder credited adjustments in mindset and skills for his batting resurgence, having scored seven fifties in India’s last six Tests. “It feels good to be contributing to the team… I have changed my mindset a bit and made a few changes,” Jadeja said. On fitness, he added: “Luckily, God has been kind that I didn’t have many injuries and I have worked on my fitness… All that is making a difference on the ground. It feels good that I am giving my 100 per cent.”

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