'It Was Shocking' - Ravindra Jadeja Reacts After On-Field Mentor Ravichandran Ashwin's Sudden Retirement

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Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was shocked to learn about his compatriot and spin partner Ravichandran Ashwin's decision to announcement retirement moments after the rain-hit Brisbane Test against Australia earlier in the week.

Ashwin, who did not feature in the 3rd Test which ended in a draw at the Gabba, had stunned the cricketing world as he bid aideu to his international career on Wednesday (December 18).

While skipper Rohit Sharma had said that he was aware of an impending retirement of the veteran spinner from the time he arrived in Perth, most of his teammates, including Jadeja, were made aware of Ashwin's decision to retire only five minutes before the announcement.

Having claimed 587 wickets as a bowling partnership and shared many stands with the bat, Jadeja revealed that he did not get even a single hint about Ashwin's retirement from international cricket despite spending the whole day together with his senior spin-bowling partner.

"I got to know about the retirement at the last moment, five minutes before the press conference. It was shocking. We spent the whole day together, and he didn't even give me a hint. I got to know at the last minute. We all know how Ashwin's mind works," Jadeja told reporters at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Saturday (December 21).

The southpaw then paid tribute to his "on-field mentor" Ashwin and said he will miss his spin twin before revealing how the pair exchanged information when bowling in tandem in the longest format.

"He is like my on-field mentor. We have been playing together for so many years. We kept passing messages to each other on the field regarding the match situation, what the batters are trying to do. I will miss all this," added Jadeja.

Jadeja, who himself retired from T20Is earlier this year, further added that everyone is replaceable and hoped this will give a youngster a good chance to impress as he feels India has got a good talent pool.

"We just hope that we get a better all-rounder and bowler than Ashwin. It's not like nobody can replace a player. Everyone goes, but you do get the replacement. We have to move on. In India, we always have good talents; it is not like anyone is irreplaceable. We will have to move on. It is a golden opportunity for any youngster to grab this opportunity," said Jadeja.

Jadeja will, however, continue his partnership with Ashwin when the pair turn up for Chennai Super Kings in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 after the Chennai-based side bought the hometown star during the mega auction last month.