Ravichandran Ashwin said goodbye to international cricket after the third Test against Australia at Gabba, Brisbane. The 38-year-old off-spinner wrapped up his impressive career, finishing as India's second-highest wicket-taker in Tests. His retirement announcement caught many fans and cricket experts off guard.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri paid a heartfelt tribute to Ashwin, highlighting how his constant evolution made him exceptional. Known for his deep love of the game, Ashwin ended up with 765 wickets across all formats.

“What really stands out for me is his desire to keep evolving. He was never the type to be content with where he started,” Shastri shared with ICC Review.

He was eager to learn new skills. He chased after them, put in a lot of practice, and kept searching for fresh techniques as his career moved forward to stay relevant, he mentioned.

Ashwin's international wicket tally ranks just behind Anil Kumble's (953) among Indian bowlers. Shastri praised the bowling duo of Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, referring to them as the spin twins.

“And for him to achieve this during his career and the way he has performed, especially in the last four or five years, I believe that in India, alongside (Ravindra) Jadeja, they made an incredible duo, the true spin twins," Shastri remarked.

The way Jadeja and Ashwin had each other's backs.

Former India head coach Shastri, who led the team to two series victories in Australia during 2018-19 and 2020-21, shared his thoughts on how Ashwin and Jadeja's partnership played a key role in their wicket-taking efforts.

“They really worked well together and motivated each other, so I’d say a lot of Jadeja's wickets over the past five or six years can be credited to Ashwin, and the same goes for Ashwin,” Shastri mentioned.

In his Test career, Ashwin has taken 269 wickets from right-handed batsmen and 268 from left-handed ones. Shastri pointed out that these numbers highlight Ashwin's exceptional skill, regardless of the batsman's style or background.

Shastri mentioned, "What really impressed me was his cleverness and his drive to master his skills. Especially in the last couple of years, the way he bowled, giving it a good rip and making the ball dip with drift really set him apart."

He continued, "If you check his stats against both right-handers and left-handers, they’re almost identical, which really tells you everything. It didn’t matter who he was up against; he was always ready to take them on."

Ashwin arrived in Chennai on Thursday morning and, after landing, expressed his intention to keep playing for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for many more years.

Read Also: Ashwin has really exceeded expectations, and his legacy is all about tackling obstacles. WV Raman compares the spinner to Tendulkar.

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