Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket, following the conclusion of the third Test in Brisbane. He retires as India’s second greatest Test cricketer, leaving a legacy to cherish.

However, his absence has left a huge void for India, especially in the conditions of the subcontinent. His presence solved several problems, but the team will undergo several changes after his retirement.

We look at three structural changes that India will see with Ashwin’s retirement.

Ravindra Jadeja Partner Requirement

When Ravichandran Ashwin played, India paired him with Ravindra Jadeja, and the duo did the job more often. However, India must find someone capable enough to complement someone of Jadeja’s caliber now, and Jadeja’s role will also increase.

That’s probably the toughest question, given how these two fared at home and in other games in Asia. The team cannot always pair a pacer with Jadeja and needs to create a new pair of spinners now.

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Increased workload in established pacemakers

Without Ravichandran Ashwin, India will surely try some options, and they already have a few options that can emerge immediately. However, the dependence on pacemakers will surely increase a little, especially in the early days.

Ashwin used to bowl for long spells and never compromised on quality, but a new spinner may not maintain the same longevity. Therefore, experienced pacers need to step up and do the heavy lifting to allow respite for the spinners, especially from the non-Jadeja side.

Drastic change in team balance

Unless he was a top-quality spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin was equally capable with the willow, as evidenced by his six centuries. Now that Ashwin will not be available, India could find quality spinners but may not get such an all-rounder.

Therefore, the balance of the team will change tremendously and India will always feel like they are missing a batsman. If they focus on batting depth, the quality of bowling will decrease, so finding that precise balance will be a problem. Washington Sundar is seen as a like-for-like replacement for Ashwin as he has excellent batting ability to go with his spin bowling prowess. But it will take him years to match Ashwin’s performances or give the retired legend’s healthy sense of reliability.

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