Ashwin's retirement marks the end of an era for India's spin bowling, particularly the iconic `spin twins` partnership with Ravindra Jadeja. Jadeja, who was informed about Ashwin's retirement just five minutes before the announcement, has expressed a pragmatic approach to the situation, emphasizing that `one must move on` and that there will be opportunities for younger spinners to step up[2].
The retirement of Ashwin also brings into focus the performance of other senior players, including Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Kohli, who has struggled with his form this year, averaging 25.06 with only one Test century, and Rohit Sharma, who averages 26.39 with two Test centuries this year, are under scrutiny for their relevance in the next cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC)[1].