IND vs BAN: I am jealous of Ravindra Jadeja, says R Ashwin after Chennai victory

India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said that he was jealous of Ravindra Jadeja. Ashwin said that he has learnt to admire the all-rounder in the last 4-5 years of his career.

In Short

• India hammered Bangladesh by 280 runs in the 1st Test
• Ashwin won the POTM award with a century and 5-wicket-haul
• R Ashwin said that he was jealous of R Jadeja's abilities

India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said that he was jealous of Ravindra Jadeja and has learnt to admire him over the last 4-5 years. Ashwin made his comments while answering questions on Jadeja's fielding abilities during the press conference after the match.

Jadeja and Ashwin had combined in the Chennai Test to hammer Bangladesh by 280 runs. In the first innings of the match the duo combined to score 199 runs and where Ashwin scored a century. In the second innings, the duo picked a total of 9 wickets, bowling out Bangladesh for 234 runs.

"Jadeja on the field is a fire. He's a rocket on the field. So, all in all, I envy him. I'm jealous of him but totally admire him. I've learnt to admire him for the last 4-5 years, even more than I have in the past," Ashwin said after the match in the post-match press conference.

When asked if he has ever felt competitive with Jadeja, Ashwin acknowledged the history of cricket is filled with such rivalries. The sport is replete with instances like Tendulkar-Lara, Wasim-Waqar, and Muralitharan-Warne, where equals compete with each other while forming a mutual admiration society along the way.

"Sometimes, when you're in the race along with your co-cricketers, you want to get ahead of one another, even inside a team. It's like brothers growing in arms, right? And then you slowly start admiring one another," the spinner said.

"Now, that admiration has gone one step higher, knowing that I can never beat Jadeja. So, I'm comfortable in my skin, but totally inspired by what he's done," he added.

Chennai Test, Day 4: Highlights | Match Report

While Ashwin won the player of the match award in his home Test, Jadeja provided equal support, saving India with the bat in first innings and then Najmul Shanto, Liton Das and Hasan Mahmud. Ashwin said that Jadeja was inspirational and made him feel calm and composed when they were batting together.

"He's been a very inspirational story. Many of these occasions over the last 3-4 years, when he's walked in to bat, I feel so calm and composed in the dressing room. It’s such an inspirational story about how he's found his off-stump, how he's contributed," Ashwin said reflecting on his trusted partner.

India will face Bangladesh in the second Test match in Kanpur, which starts on September 27.