BREAKING: Ravi Ashwin retires mid series
The veteran is to fly home with two Tests left in the BGT
Indian spinning great Ravi Ashwin and one of the game’s true characters has retired from cricket.
The veteran of 106 Test and 537 Test wickets said it was time to move from the international stage and apologised for not taking questions as he was too emotional in the moment.
“I really didn't want to make this about myself,” he said while sitting beside captain Rohit Sharma after the game. “Honestly, I think it would have been better if Bumrah was here, or Akash Deep was here, but Rohit is unfortunate to have me along his side.
“It's not going to take too much of your time, this will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats in the international level. I do feel there's a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer, but I would like to expose and probably showcase that in club level cricket, but this will be the last day, and I got a lot of fun, I must say, I created a lot of memories alongside Rohit and several of my other team mates, even though I lost some of them over the last few years.
“We are the last bunch of OGs - if you can say that left out of the dressing room, and I'd be - I would be marking this as my last date of having played at this level.
“Obviously, there are a lot of people to thank, but I would be failing in my duties if I didn't thank the BCCI and the fellow teammates,
“Also a big thank you to the Australian cricket team, who've been very fierce competitors. I've enjoyed my time playing against them, and I think it's already getting long, I wouldn't be taking any questions, but truly, a very emotional moment. I don't think I'm in a position where I would be answering the questions in the right way. So please pardon me for that. And once again, yeah, that's my time.
“Thanks for being the journalist that you've been writing good things and, of course, writing nasty things on occasions. And that's a relationship I think we would maintain forever. And I hope the cricketers to come in the future will also get the same amount of love that you've given them. Once again, thank you all. And yeah, see you all soon as a cricket, I just stopped it. I might go on to be involved with the game, because this is a game that's given me everything. Thank you.”
Ashwin left the room to a round of warm applause from the Australian and India media.
Captain Rohit Sharma said he was told of Ashwin’s intention on arrival in Perth and indicated he’d asked him to stay for the pink ball Test in Adelaide, but could not convince him to stay until they saw what conditions were in Melbourne.
Ravindra Jadeja replaced the Chennai champion in this match. Sharma said that the reasons for his retirement were personal and would not elaborate but praised the 38-year-old off spinner who scored six centuries with the bat and was universally admired for his competitive spirit.
A constant thorn in Australia’s side, Ashwin took 29 wickets when Michael Clarke’s side visited the subcontinent in 2013, 21 when they visited four years later under Steve Smith’s guidance and 25 in the 2023 series.
Pat Cummins said Ashwin would go down as one of the “all time greats” and said there was “massive respect in our changerooms for the career he has had”.
Would he be in an all time Indian XI or is that just recency bias? Numbers-wise of course he would.
Probably the best spinner of the last twenty years, and innovative. In the 2021 masked Sydney test, probably more Covid Marshalls than paying patrons on the last day, Ashwin and his little mate Vihari, who hasn’t been seen since, batted out to deny Australia an almost certain victory. Ashwin had a folded thigh pad shoved down the back of his pants, helped him retain focus he said. It worked, and sometimes between overs Vihari took it on. Might have distracted the Aussies.