Melbourne, Australia

India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja says that retirement of veteran off-spinner Ravi Ashwin is a 'golden opportunity for a youngster.' Ashwin retired from international cricket after the end of the third Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Series, which was held at Gabba in Brisbane on Wednesday (Dec 18). 

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"We just hope that we get a better all-rounder and bowler than Ashwin. It's not like nobody can replace a player. Everyone goes, but you do get the replacement. We have to move on. In India, we always have good talents; it is not like anyone is irreplaceable. We will have to move on. It is a golden opportunity for any youngster to grab this opportunity," said Jadeja while talking to the reporters outside Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Saturday (Dec 21).

Also Read: 'When we had our hearts broken,' wife Prithi shares note on Ravi Ashwin's retirement

Jadeja also revealed that he came to know about Ashwin's retirement only five minutes before the press conference despite spending the whole day together.

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"I got to know about the retirement at the last moment, five minutes before the press conference. It was shocking. We spent the whole day together, and he didn’t even give me a hint. I got to know at the last minute. We all know how Ashwin’s mind works," Jadeja said.

The left-arm spinner, however, acknowledged that he'll miss Ashwin and termed him as 'my on-field mentor.'

"I will miss all this. We have been playing together for so many years. We kept passing messages to each other on the field regarding the match situation, what the batters are trying to do," said Jadeja.

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In an unexpected announcement, Ashwin retired as one of India's greats, having taken 537 Test wickets in addition to six 100s in the format.

His test bowling record is second only to Anil Kumble's 619.

Ashwin also took 765 wickets in all internationals, again second only to Kumble's 953.