India's playing 11 from Ravichandran Ashwin's debut Test - where are they now?
Indian future spin resources were in serious doubt when Ravichandran Ashwin made his Test debut against the West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in 2011.
With Anil Kumble announcing his retirement in 2008 and Harbhajan Singh's stocks on a downward spiral then, it looked like India would struggle to find another quality spinner in their ranks, let alone an off-spinner.
But Ashwin not only stepped up into the role perfectly with 507 Test wickets in 99 matches but also formed one of the most formidable bowling pairs with Ravindra Jadeja in the red-ball format.
If we talk about Ravichandran Ashwin's legacy as a cricketer, then gritty and experimental would be apt for him. Trying out different grips and bowling actions has been the hallmark of his red-ball career, exemplifying his skill, guile, and astute deception.
Ashwin is all set to play his 100th test, and what better venue than beautiful Dharmasala for him to play his milestone match?
A lot of water has flown under the river since Ravichandran Ashwin's debut in 2011, a lot has changed in Indian cricket, and lots of players from that match don't feature in the Indian team now. So where are they?
In this article, we will look at the playing XI of India from Ravichandran Ashwin's debut match and find out where each one of them is right now.
Batters: Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni
Gautam Gambhir, who represented India in 58 Tests, announced his retirement in 2016. He joined politics in 2019, and was elected a member of parliament from East Delhi before announcing his departure from politics in 2024.
Gambhir's opening partner, Virender Sehwag, after taking retirement in 2013, decided to go into broadcasting and commentary. Currently, Sehwag analyzes the game on different cricket platforms.
In 2012, Rahul Dravid announced his retirement and took on coaching stints with IPL franchises Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). But he got his success with junior cricketers when he won the U-19 World Cup as a coach in 2018. Currently, Dravid serves as the head coach of the Indian cricket team.
Legendary Sachin Tendulkar announced his retirement in 2013, which brought almost everyone to tears back then. Post-retirement, Sachin enjoys his life with his family and is associated with Mumbai Indians in the IPL.
VVS Laxman hung up his boots in 2012 and took on the commentary gig right away. He also served as a mentor to the IPL team SunRisers Hyderabad before becoming the Head of Cricket at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and the head coach of the India Under-19 and India A teams.
Yuvraj Singh, the most important cog in the Indian twin World Cup campaign since 2007, last represented India in the 2017 Champions Trophy final before taking retirement. The left-hander and cancer survivor himself is currently serving other cancer patients through his foundation, YouWeCan.
India's most successful captain with three ICC trophies to his credit, MS Dhoni, announced his retirement from international cricket after a heartbreaking loss in the 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand. He is still active in the IPL and will be seen leading the Chennai Super Kings in this year's IPL as well.
Bowlers: Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, Umesh Yadav
Ravichandran Ashwin, who was named Player of the Match in his debut game for his nine wickets, is still very active not only in international cricket but also in the IPL.
Ishant Sharma is grinding hard on the domestic circuit to make his comeback to the national side. Ishant also has an IPL contract with the Delhi Capitals, where he bowled some tough overs in IPL 2023.
One of the most promising talents, Pragyan Ojha's Test career ended with Sachin Tendulkar's retirement match in 2013. After retiring from cricket, he started commentating and also served as the players' representative on the Governing Council of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The evergreen workhorse for Indian cricket, Umesh Yadav, is still active in domestic cricket and has been serving Vidharbh cricket in recent years. He has also been an IPL journeyman, representing different franchises, with the Gujarat Titans being the latest.