Cricket: Ravi Jadeja reveals he only learned about Ravi Ashwin’s retirement five minutes before it was announced

One of Ravichandran Ashwin’s teammates has shed more light on the shock retirement of one of India’s all-time greats, revealing his shock at learning of the bombshell announcement.

They took 587 Test wickets in tandem, but Ravindra Jadeja learnt about Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement just five minutes before everyone else.

India took to the MCG nets for the first time since arriving in Melbourne for the Boxing Day Test but did so without Ashwin, who made a shock exit from international cricket immediately following the drawn third Test in Brisbane.

Despite the tourists having issues with their training being open to fans in Adelaide earlier in the tour, Saturday’s session went off without a hitch despite the ‘G’s nets being publicly viewable from the adjacent concourse.

Unlike the Adelaide training about which Indian captain Rohit Sharma later said had led to invasions of his team’s privacy, this session had not been widely publicised.

Having been bypassed for the first two Tests, Jadeja’s second innings 77 at the Gabba went a long way towards helping ensure India kept the series squared at 1-1 heading to the fourth Test.

But his performance was ultimately overshadowed by Ashwin’s bombshell decision to call time on his Test career midway through the series.

One of history’s most outstanding spin duos, the tweakers played 58 Tests together during which Ashwin claimed 317 wickets and Jadeja took 270.

But that wasn’t enough for Ashwin to give Jadeja any sort of head-up about his bombshell call, despite the fact they sat together for much of the rain-marred final day in Brisbane.

“I got to know about Ashwin at the last moment,” Jadeja said in Hindi, which has been translated to English.

India's Ravichandran Ashwin (L) celebrates a wicket with Ravi Jadeja.

“When he came to you for the press conference, I got to know about him just five minutes before. Someone told me that something like this is going to happen. We were sitting together the whole day. He didn’t even give me a hint. Obviously, I got to know at the last moment.”

Jadeja said his return performance with the bat would give him confidence for the remainder of the series.

“My confidence as a player will be high,” Jadeja said.

“I will try to maintain the momentum and rhythm in the upcoming matches. My mindset won’t change.”

Ashwin and Jadeja celebrate a wicket during India’s 2020-21 tour of Australia.

Due to time constraints, Jadeja did not take any questions in English.

In-form opener KL Rahul copped a blow to the hand while batting on Saturday but was only treated briefly.

It’s believed the struggling Rohit did not face the new ball during the session, suggesting he is likely to stay in the middle order for the Boxing Day Test.

Rohit also appeared to be tinkering with his foot positioning as he battles to regain form.

Jasprit Bumrah with Western Bulldogs CEO Ameet Bains

Meanwhile in true Melbourne style, Indian superstar and destroyer-in-chief Jasprit Bumrah was presented with a personal Western Bulldogs AFL jumper.

Bumrah met Bulldogs chief Ameet Bains – who is of Indian descent and a cricket lover – and Patrice Berthold, the Dogs’ general manager of women’s football who used to work at Cricket Australia.

Originally published as Cricket: Ravi Jadeja reveals he only learned about Ravi Ashwin’s retirement five minutes before it was announced