India will never get someone as good as Ravindra Jadeja or R Ashwin: Pujara

India do not have replacements for Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, said Cheteshwar Pujara leading to the Adelaide Test match against Australia. Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, Pujara called the duo legends of the game and said that they have contributed a lot to Indian cricket.

Ashwin and Jadeja did not play the opening Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Optus Stadium in Perth in a pitch that was conducive to fast bowling. Washington Sundar played as India’s lone spinner in the Test match as India look to transition from this veteran duo. While they are still the preferred pair for all home Tests, India have started experimenting with other combinations overseas.

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Pujara however believes that there is no chance that India can have the quality of Ashwin and Jadeja in their line-up in the near future.

“You can’t have the quality of Ashwin and Jadeja. I have seen a lot of spinners in the Indian domestic circuit, but I wouldn’t say that we have actual replacements for them. Yes, we do have some young talented bowlers whom we need to groom, but those are the legends of the game. I don’t think we will ever get someone as good as Ashwin or Jadeja. We might have some replacements, but I still feel those guys have contributed a lot to Indian cricket,” Cheteshwar Pujara said on ESPNcricinfo.

“After the WTC final, we will be travelling to England. That will be an important series. We are going to play five Test matches over there. Do you seen Ashwin and Jadeja fit into that role? Do you want one of them to be part of the playing XI? But, if Washington Sundar is going to play in the XI, then you might as well have someone else be part of the squad,” Pujara went on to add.

After missing out on the Perth Test, Ashwin and Jadeja are unlikely to get game time in the Adelaide Test match as well. However, that has not worried India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, who said that India are lucky to have senior players who think about the team before their personal goals.

“It is only tough when you have seniors who do not understand it. When you have seniors like Jaddu and Ashwin, who understand what the team is trying to do, I think it becomes very easy. The team follows what Gauti bhai believes in. We were very happy with how Ashwin and Jaddu were helping the younger guys do well here. I just felt that the culture of the team was focused on team India to win,” Abhishek Nayar said in Canberra on Friday, November 29.

Perth Test was the first time since January 2021 that both Jadeja and Ashwin were missing from the team line-up. In the iconic Gabba Test in January 2021, Jadeja missed the match due to a fractured thumb, while Ashwin was sidelined with back issues.

The absence of Ashwin and Jadeja was surprising for many Australian experts, given their consistent performances for India. Ashwin, with 3,474 Test runs and over 470 wickets, and Jadeja, with 3,235 runs.

However, it turned out to be the right call for the team as India hammered Australia in the opening Test match in Perth. India won by 295 runs at the Optus Stadium, their biggest victory Down Under in Test cricket.