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Former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has offered a blunt assessment of Ravindra Jadeja's bowling evolution, stating that the veteran all-rounder is no longer the attacking spinner he once was.

Speaking after India's emphatic 165-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test at Galle, Ashwin highlighted how Jadeja's role has transitioned into that of a middle-order batter who offers control with the ball rather than a wicket-taking threat.

"Jadeja and Manav Suthar are completely different bowlers. Suthar's strength is ball rotation. Jadeja bowls to the wickets and gives you control with his stock balls. I feel Jadeja is not that attacking spinner anymore. He is a batter who gives experience with the ball, and he has transitioned to that role, which is not such a bad thing," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. He was full of praise for young left-arm spinner Suthar, who claimed six wickets in the second innings to complete a match-haul of 10 wickets, rattling Sri Lanka for 206 while chasing 372.

"Suthar is putting his hands up and saying he knows how to pick wickets. He gauges what batters might do and bowls accordingly. He has given a great account of his skills in the first two Tests and is very important to India's spin stocks," Ashwin added. Reflecting on the match, he credited India's batting stars—Devdutt Padikkal, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Dhruv Jurel for setting up the win, but insisted Suthar was the standout performer. "Everyone is going to talk about him," Ashwin concluded.