Indian off-spinner and currently the Test format's best bowler by ranking, Ravichandran Ashwin hailed another Indian off-spinning legend Harbhajan Singh and in the process, called for an end to, what he termed, "unhealthy" banter.

Singh also responded to Ashwin's tweet with equanimity:

The "banter" which Ashwin had referred to in his tweet probably referred to the reaction following Singh's tweets on October 9 and 10 after New Zealand had been bowled out for 299 in the third Test at Indore with Ashwin picking up 6/81. Singh's tweet was widely construed as indicating that Ashwin's rich wicket haul was a result of the helpful turning surfaces he had received.

This followed an earlier tweet on October 8 on the first day of the Test.

Former Indian spinner Maninder Singh had called on Singh to be more "humble" while Indian Test captain Virat Kohli had defended his bowlers by pointing out that the spinners still needed to bowl well, even if it was a turning pitch.