IND vs AUS 2023: Ravindra Jadeja gives me a lot of freedom to be creative with the ball – Ravichandran Ashwin

India’s veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin gave credit to his bowling partner Ravindra Jadeja after they won the Border-Gavaskar trophy by 2-1. The fourth Test match ended in a draw at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, and both Ashwin and Jadeja were awarded the Player of the Series for their all-round performance.

While Ashwin scalped 25 wickets and scored 86 runs, Jadeja took 22 wickets and scored a total of 135 runs.

Meanwhile, it is well known that Ashwin and Jadeja have all the experience under their belt and they are a lethal combination, especially in the Indian conditions. Jadeja is known for his accuracy which gives the freedom to Ashwin to try his variations.

Both the veteran spinners are known to hunt down the opposition batters in pairs and they complement each other a lot. Furthermore, both of them contributed crucial runs while batting down the order for the team in the Australia series.

Jadeja scored 70 runs in Nagpur whereas Ashwin played a crucial knock of 37 runs in the first innings at Delhi and added 114 runs with Axar Patel, to help the hosts make a solid comeback when they were behind the eighth-ball.

Ashwin said at the post-match presentation, “It has been a great journey. We (himself and Jadeja) started a long time ago but we wouldn’t be the same or lethal enough without the other. We need to recognize that, at least I have started recognizing that over the last 2-3 years. He gives me a lot of freedom to be creative with the ball, credit to him, I thought he bowled beautifully in the Delhi Test as well and that’s why we are here today. Jaddu keeps it really simple, he does not fret around or bother about what has happened, but I saw him sit in one place for an hour after he got out, so that told me how disappointed he was, and that came out today.”

He added, “The conversations have been a lot more in the last 2-3 years because I know how to communicate and what are his likes, his dislikes and even knowing what will help him. Even he has adapted beautifully to the chop and change, during the series when Head was going, Khawaja was playing, we had a lot of good conversations and some of them ended up with wickets and some of them are quite funny.”

On the other hand, Ravindra Jadeja also gave credit to Ashwin for his success and hailed his teammate for his immense cricketing knowledge.

Jadeja said, “It feels good bowling with him. He (Ashwin) is passing on information. What field to have, how to bowl to a particular batsman. I am not too happy with my batting in this series. I missed out on a few occasions especially in this Test. I will work harder and focus on my batting. He is more of everything. He has a good cricketing brain. He knows every team in the world and every series that is being played.”

Jadeja will be in action in the first ODI against Australia, which will be played at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Friday.