‘Ashwin understands team composition’

It is difficult to digest exclusion after a fabulous season in Test cricket but Ravichandran Ashwin "understands the dynamics" of team composition which led to Ravindra Jadeja being preferred over him, feels India captain Virat Kohli.

Asked if as a skipper, is it a difficult job to go up to his main strike bowler (in Test cricket), Kohli replied that on the contrary it is easy. "Ashwin is a top-class bowler. Everyone knows that. And he is very professional as well. He understands the dynamics of the side that was picked in the last game and he was absolutely fine with it. He (Ashwin) told me 'I support you whatever you want to do.' That's always been our equation,” Kohli said on the eve of the match against Sri Lanka.

Kohli revealed that there has been "disagreements" with Ashwin but specifically related to on-field technical issues and never ever over selection matters.

"Yes, we do have disagreements on bowling plans and all those sort of things because he is a very smart guy and he has his own plans in place. All those things happen. "But in this case where team selection and all these things come into play, he's very professional. He understands what the team demands. It's a very nice and beautiful thing about him that he always puts the team first. He was the first guy who said, I have no problems with the kind of combination you're going in with," Kohli said.