Ashwin and Jadeja: A pair broken up after 12 seasons

It seemed odd to hear Ravindra Jadeja talk about R Ashwin in the past tense.

- Ashish Magotra

MELBOURNE: For so long have they, proverbially, been joined at the hip that it's difficult to think of them as separate entities.

They played 58 Tests together, and in those matches claimed 587 wickets. Ashwin's share was 317 wickets and Jadeja's 270, yet the manner in which they achieved those numbers was anything but similar.

Ashwin was the creative genius, Jadeja was the metronome. They complemented their styles with a competitive streak that saw them feed off each other's energy yet never take it for granted. With them operating together, India were almost unbeatable at home.

The pair bowled together for the first time in the 2012 series against England. India lost the home series. They paired up for the last time against New Zealand before landing in Australia. India lost the series too. In between, India won every home Test series.