The opening Test between India and England at Headingley carries a different kind of weight for Prithi Narayanan - wife of recently retired Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
As the five-match series gets underway, she took to Instagram to share an emotional note reflecting on how the experience of watching India play has now changed. Ashwin retired after the historic Brisbane Test against Australia last year and is no longer part of India's Test plans.
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The 37-year-old signed off as India's second-highest wicket-taker in the format with 537 dismissals in 106 matches - with a career that spanned over a decade. His absence is still fresh for many, especially for his family.
What did Ravichandran Ashwin's wife post ahead of IND vs. ENG Test series?
Posting on her Instagram story, Prithi admitted to a sense of emotional confusion as the new series began without Ashwin in the Indian dressing room.
"Test match day for India and I woke up with many many mixed feelings :) have to find a way to love it and unlearn the only way I knew to=."
same prithi same :( pic.twitter.com/vBr11YVE1a
— ً (@manmarziiyaan) June 20, 2025
The short but deeply personal message hints at the emotional recalibration required in life after a partner's retirement from the game, especially one as central to Indian Test cricket as Ashwin.
This Test series marks a generational shift for Indian cricket. With Ashwin, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli no longer part of the red-ball setup, a new-look squad led by Shubman Gill and vice-captain Rishabh Pant will look to establish their own identity in English conditions.