Clarke expressed his surprise, saying that Ashwin could have held off on retiring, even if he wasn't set to play in the next two Tests.

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Ravichandran Ashwin's unexpected retirement caught a lot of people off guard on Wednesday, as the seasoned Indian spinner decided to end his international journey after the Brisbane Test. Michael Clarke, the iconic former Australian captain, also shared his thoughts on Ashwin's retirement, mentioning that he didn't see it coming in the middle of the series.

There are still two Tests left in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, including one in Sydney, which is typically a good pitch for spinners. Clarke acknowledged that Ashwin has earned all the respect for his impressive career, but it was still a shock to see the Indian legend step away from the game.

Ravichandran Ashwin has been an incredible player in every format, making him really hard to face, especially in India. He’s super skilled, precise, and knows how to bowl in the right areas. He definitely deserves respect and a big shoutout for his amazing career, Clarke mentioned on ESPN Australia’s ‘Around The Wicket’ show.

“I’m a bit taken aback that he chose to do it now. Even if he wasn’t going to play the next two Tests, I thought he might have waited to go back home and do it in front of the Indian media… who knows?”

Clarke uses his own career as an example.

The ex-Aussie batsman gave Ashwin some leeway, reminiscing about his own playing days when Ryan Harris, a former Australian bowler, also called it quits during an Ashes series.

“He’s got his reasons. I’ve seen it happen in the Ashes before. Ryan Harris had to retire early due to an injury. I can relate to that. But I assume he talked it over with the captain and coach, and they probably hinted that he wouldn’t be playing the next two Tests, so he made his choice,” Clarke mentioned.

Ashwin wraps up his career with 537 wickets, making him the second-highest wicket-taker for India in Test cricket, right behind the legendary Anil Kumble. He’s also one of the few players to have participated in over 100 Tests for India, finishing with a total of 106 matches.

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