Shastri, whose tenure ended with India’s group-stage exit from the 2021 T20 World Cup, said after India’s 2-1 Test series victory in the 2018/19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy that he regarded left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav as India’s premier spinner overseas. Kuldeep claimed his maiden five-wicket haul in the final game of that series, a draw at Sydney which sealed India’s first triumph in Australia.

“He plays overseas Test cricket and he gets five wickets, so he becomes our primary overseas spinner,” Shastri told Cricbuzz. “Going ahead, if we have to play one spinner, he is the one we will pick.”

Speaking to The Cricket Monthly, Ashwin, who had begun the series as India’s spinner, taking six wickets in the first-Test victory at Adelaide before being ruled out through injury, revealed that Shastri’s comment had “absolutely crushed” him.

“I hold Ravi bhai in high esteem,” Ashwin said. “We all do. In that moment, though, I felt crushed. Absolutely crushed. We all talk about how important it is to enjoy your team-mates’ success. And I was happy for Kuldeep. I have not been able to get a five-for but he has a five-for in Australia. I know how big it is. Even when I have bowled well [at other times], I haven’t ended up with a five-for. So I am genuinely happy for him. And it’s an extremely happy occasion, to win in Australia.

“But if I have to come and partake in his happiness, and the success of the team, I must feel like I belong there. If I feel like I am being thrown under the bus, how am I supposed to get up and come for a party to enjoy the team’s or team-mate’s success? I went back to my room and then I spoke to my wife. And my children were there. So we were able to, you know, shrug it off, and I still made it to the party, because, end of the day, we had won a massive series.”

Asked if Shastri’s comment could have been intended as motivation, Ashwin responded, “Motivation is for those who need it. But when someone is going through a tough phase in life and needs an arm around his shoulder… that was a tough phase in my life.”

Speaking on Express Adda, Shastri countered Ashwin’s comments. “Ashwin did not play the Test in Sydney and Kuldeep bowled well. So it’s fair I give Kuldeep a chance. If that hurt Ashwin, I am very happy. It made him do something different. My job is not to butter everyone’s toast. My job is to state facts without agenda.

“If your coach challenges you, what will you do? Go home crying and say I won’t come back? I as a player would take it as a challenge, to prove the coach wrong. If my statement on Kuldeep hurt Ashwin, I am glad I made that statement. It made him do something different.”