Ravichandran Ashwin announced his international retirement in Brisbane on Wednesday. (Sportzpics)
Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket after the Third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Gabba. The all-time seventh-placed wicket-taker in Test cricket only played in one Test in the ongoing India vs Australia series so far.
Having taken one wicket in the second Test at Adelaide, Ashwin did not feature in the third Test with India preferring Ravindra Jadeja. Former Australian wicket-keeper Brad Haddin thinks Ashwin would have been a bit frustrated with the change.
“More will come out when Ashwin has his opportunity to speak; just reading between the lines, it looked like he may have been a bit frustrated with the spinning options that they’ve changed in the first three Test matches. To me, he was a student of the game (and) always looking at ways to get better … he’s earned the right,” Haddin told Fox Cricket after the end of the Test match.
While Ashwin is placed second only behind Anil Kumble in India’s highest wicket-takers in Test matches list, the off-spinner is also currently the seventh highest wicket taker in Test cricket.
With two Test matches in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy remaining and the last one being in spin-friendly Sydney Cricket Ground, former Australian pacer Breet Lee compared the retirement midway in the series to England spinner Graeme Swann’s retirement during the third Ashes Test at WACA, Perth in 2013. “I think the last time a spinner retired through a series (in Australia) was Graeme Swann. He may have been told that he’s not going to play any further part in this series, and rightly so, (he) just decided to go out on his own terms,” said Lee on Fox Cricket.
Fellow commentator and former England cricketer Michael Vaughan too shared his thoughts on Ashwin’s variations and his craft. “I’m going to miss his bowling, that flight, carom balls, his abilities to bowl in all conditions … (in India) a batter has got no chance when you’re facing that quality,” Vaughan said on Fox Cricket.
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