This past week, Ravichandran Ashwin had taken over the Indian cricket fans with an insight into his mind and and his comeback journey to white-ball cricket for his country. The 35-year-old spoke about the time he was dropped from the squad for alternative options, how he was sidelined due to injuries and the kind of mental trauma he suffered because of all of it.

However, one of the biggest highlights from Ashwin’s expression of his struggles was when he spoke about his former head coach Ravi Shastri and how Shastri’s praise of Kuldeep Yadav had affected him negatively.

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During an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Ashwin addressed the moment when Shastri had commended Yadav as India’s best overseas spinner after his incredible performance in Australia, when he took a five-wicket haul, while also saying that he was happy about his compatriot’s achievement.

However, a few days after Ashwin’s comments, Shastri has finally responded to his words in the typical ‘Ravi Shastri’ way. The former Indian coach said that he was “glad” that his words had an impact of Ashwin’s performance as a cricketer.

“My job is not to butter everyone’s toast. My job is to state facts without agenda,” he added while clarifying that he wasn’t the leader of the supporting team for the Men in Blue just to boost a player’s ego unnecessarily. 

Shastri on Ashwin: “My job isn’t to butter anyone’s toast” - at Express Adda

— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) December 23, 2021

Shastri was happy about the fact that his words for Yadav hurt Ashwin. He even drew a comparison between how the spinner used to bowl back in 2019 and how he is bowling in 2021, that has made him the second-best bowler in the world in the longest format of the game.

Here’s how Indian cricket fans reacted to Shastri’s stinging response to Ashwin:

That's why Virat,-Shashtri hated by players.

— Pulkit Agrwal (@Pulkit_Agrwal21) December 23, 2021

@RaviShastriOfc never deserved the respect that he always sought. One can manipulate his way to the top but respect is earned. Super Inflated egos- that’s what comes to mind when one thinks on Kohli & Shastri. That’s why @ashwinravi99 was left out. It cost India WTC title

— Prakash Dixit (@prakashdixit07) December 23, 2021

That's why couldn't win a single WC. Was part of 2015, 2019 50 over wcs, n 2016, 2021 T20 WCs. Got team wrong everytime. Treated players without dignity. B it Ash Rayudu, Kuldeep, Chahal etc.

— Kshitij Ojha (@Kshitij070) December 23, 2021

Except licking Kohli's boot. that was his only job. Served him well as Mr Kohli single-handedly brought him into dressing room

— Trishul Sinha (@Trishulsinha) December 23, 2021

Ashwin will be helping Virat Kohli and the rest of the Indian cricket team face off against the South African side on their home soil in a three-match Test series that is set to take place from December 26th, 2021 at Gauteng.

His prowess with the ball will be extremel crucial for his skipper as India has never won a red-ball series in the land of the Proteas and may have the greatest chances in the history of the two sides’ rivalry to finally be able to make it happen.

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