Ravichandran Ashwin's retirement from international cricket hit with a strong wave of déjà vu, echoing the moment when MS Dhoni called it quits. Dhoni had also wrapped up his Test career unexpectedly during a series against Australia back in 2014. Right after Ashwin's announcement at the Gabba, following the drawn third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, former India coach Ravi Shastri reminisced about Dhoni's brief but impactful farewell speech in the dressing room.

Dhoni's retirement came as a shock in December 2014, right in the middle of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, where India was down 0-2. It was totally out of the blue since he hadn’t hinted at stepping away from Test cricket at all.

Thinking back to that day in Melbourne after the drawn Test at the MCG, Shastri shared that Dhoni wanted to have a quick chat with the team. Initially, he thought it was to praise the players for holding Australia to a draw, but instead, Dhoni dropped the bombshell of his retirement.

Shastri recounted on SEN Radio: “Dhoni didn’t waste any time. I was coaching at the time, and he said, ‘Ravi, I need to talk to the boys for five minutes.’ Since we had just drawn the game at the MCG, I agreed, thinking he’d say something like, ‘Great job, everyone.’ But then he simply said, ‘Thank you. I’m done with this.’”

“There was still one Test match left. He just walked up there, gave a five-minute speech—no drama, no fuss. He said, ‘I’m done. Thanks for all the support. I won’t be in Sydney, but I’m fully behind you guys.’ This was right before the World Cup, and he was set to lead the team there.”

I glanced around, and nobody seemed to have a clue.

Thinking back to the vibe in the dressing room, Shastri mentioned that none of the players, even those close to Dhoni, had any idea he was about to announce his retirement at the MCG.

"I scanned the room and asked the guys if Dhoni had talked to them. Nobody had a clue. Even those who hung out with him just days before. No one saw it coming when he made that announcement," he shared.

The seasoned all-rounder also expressed that he always thought Dhoni, a World Cup-winning captain, would reach the milestone of 100 Test matches, especially with that match being in Ranchi.

Shastri continued, "He had played around 94 or 95 Tests. Typically, in India, for a player of his caliber, if he was set to play his 100th Test in Ranchi, the whole town would have turned out to celebrate. But none of that happened for him. He simply said, ‘I’m ready to pack it in. I’m done with the whites.’”

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