India’s decorated off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin announced his decision to retire from international cricket moments after the Brisbane Test ended in a draw.
Ashwin came into the post-match press conference with India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, to announce his decision. The anticipation around Ashwin’s retirement started to build up when he was visibly emotional and was hugged by Virat Kohli.
Moments after Ashwin announced his retirement, Rohit Sharma stood up and embraced Ashwin. The 38-year-old was brief while announcing that Wednesday marked his last day as an international cricketer.
“I don’t want to make it about myself. This is my last day as an international cricketer. I’ve had a lot of fun. I have made a lot of memories alongside Rohit [Sharma] and several of my team-mates, even though we’ve lost some of them [to retirements] over the last few years. We’re the last bunch of OGs, we can say that. I will be marking this as my date of having played at this level,” Ashwin said in the post-match press conference.
“Obviously there are a lot of people to thank, but I will be failing in my duties if I didn’t thank the BCCI and fellow team-mates. I want to name a few of them, some of the coaches [also] who have been part of the journey. Most importantly, Rohit, Virat [Kohli], Ajinkya [Rahane], [Cheteshwar] Pujara, who have taken some of the catches around the bat and given me the number of wickets I’ve managed to get over the years,” he added.
In a career that spanned over two decades, Ashwin made an everlasting impression across the three formats. He redefined the art of off-spin by working on the established variations and adding a touch of his own.
“Ashwin is a true match winner India has ever seen,” Rohit said in the press conference.
He featured in 106 Tests, picked up a whopping 537 wickets, including 37 five-wicket hauls, and amassed 3,503 runs. One can even argue that his contributions to Indian cricket are far greater than just what those staggering numbers indicate.
The crafty spinner is the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Tests overall and second-highest for India behind legendary spinner Anil Kumble (619 scalps). He also has 2nd most five-wicket hauls in Tests, behind Sri Lankan spin icon Muttiah Muralitharan (67).
With Ashwin stepping down from the international stage, he is truly leaving behind a tremendous legacy and massive boots to fill for the youngsters who will come in to make up for his presence.
Ashwin spearheaded the bowling attack and was a major face behind India’s rise to the top and eventual domination in Test cricket that lasted from 2014 to 2019.
When one turns to look at his dominance in the home conditions, he was a phenom. His expertise wasn’t just limited to the ball but also some impactful contributions with the bat.
In the white-ball format, Ashwin made 181 appearances and snatched 228 wickets. He made 116 ODI appearances and took 156 wickets at an average of 33.20, with best figures of 4/25. He also made 707 runs at an average of 16.44, with one fifty, a knock of 65 in 63 innings. He is the 13th-highest wicket-taker in ODIs for India.
In 65 T20Is, he took 72 wickets at an average of 23.22. His best figures are 4/8. He also scored 184 runs in 19 innings at an average of 26.28, with best score of 31. He is the sixth-highest wicket-taker for India in T20Is.
With 765 scalps in 287 matches, he is India’s second-highest wicket-taker across all formats, next to Kumble (953). He also won the 2011 50-Over World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy with India. (ANI)
