Following the draw between India and Australia in the Brisbane Test, Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket on Wednesday. Ashwin did not participate in the match and was also on the bench during the first Test in Perth of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The return of Captain Rohit Sharma from paternity leave allowed him to rejoin the playing XI for the second Test in Adelaide, which was played with a pink ball; however, India suffered a defeat by 10 wickets.

In response to Ashwin's retirement announcement, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir took to X to commend Ashwin's contributions to the sport. He stated, “The privilege of witnessing your evolution from a young bowler to a modern cricket legend is something I would not exchange for anything! I am certain that future generations of bowlers will credit their inspiration to Ashwin! You will be greatly missed, brother! @ashwinravi99,” Gambhir expressed. The third Test concluded in a draw due to rain on the final day. Following the match, the experienced spinner joined Captain Rohit at the press conference, where Ashwin remarked, “I will not take up too much of your time. Today marks my final day as an India cricketer.”

Glittering career

Ashwin concludes his career with a total of 537 Test wickets, positioning him as the seventh-highest wicket-taker in this format. Among Indian bowlers, he ranks second, following Anil Kumble, who holds the record with 619 Test wickets. Additionally, Ashwin has achieved 765 wickets across all formats, a figure surpassed only by Kumble’s 953.

Throughout his illustrious career, Ashwin has recorded 37 five-wicket hauls in 106 Test matches, which ties him for the second-most in the format alongside Shane Warne, who accomplished this in 145 matches. He trails only Muttiah Muralitharan, who has achieved 67 five-wicket hauls. Furthermore, Ashwin's strike rate of 50.7 balls per wicket places him among the top ten bowlers out of 84 who have taken at least 200 Test wickets. Notably, he is the sole spinner in the top 25, with Stuart MacGill being the nearest competitor at 29th position.

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