It came out of the blue and it was over within a couple of minutes. Ravichandran Ashwin, announced his international retirement from all forms of the game with immediate effect. The memories of the last 14 years, right from the time when he bowled Shane Watson in the 2011 World Cup, came flooding back. Ofcourse, he made his debut before that but it was in the World Cup that everyone saw Ashwin who will go onto achieve what he achieved over the next 14 years. He was a champion cricketer, make no mistake about it. I have been critical of Ashwin in the past but it wasn’t without any reason. However, today, it is not about that, rather, it is about Ravichandran Ashwin, the champion cricketer in Ravichandra Ashwin retires one.
“last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level”.
“I do feel that there is a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer but I would like to showcase that in club level cricket,” Ashwin said.
“I’ve had a lot of fun; I’ve created a lot of memories alongside Rohit and several of my other teammates.
A retirement shone of any fanfare
First of all, a massive thank you to Ashwin for his services to the game and particularly, to the nation. It is sad that the announcement had to come on a faraway land, during a game where he wasn’t even part of and away from his beloved Chennai or as he would like to call it, Madras crowd. The recent trend of a retiring player inviting his family to the final game and making a spectacle of it, Ashwin wanted none of it. I am sure there are some heartburns within the dressing room that forced him to take the decision. Infact, Rohit made a shocking comment.
Rohit said that, Ashwin told him that if he wasn’t needed in the series, he would be better off by retiring. It talks of some kind of insecurity. It remains to be seen whether Ashwin will write a tell-all book in which he pours all the frustrations that he experienced during his career. I doubt he will.
Ashwin has been a fierce cricketer. He does not tolerate nonsense. Anyone who has read his book, I have the Streets, will know what sort of personality Ashwin is. He is someone who is straight and extremely frank. If he feels that he has been wronged, he will not leave the matter until he comes to know the reason. To that extent, he does not mind confronting the mighty and powerful if he feels that unfair means were meted out to him.
It was always coming
Listening to the comments made by Rohit Sharma after the Brisbane Test, it seemed clear that Ashwin made up his mind of retiring from the game even before he landed in Australia. He knew that his chances of playing in Australia is limited. He could have announced his retirement after the New Zealand series considering the fact that India will not play another home Test until October 2025. It is a shame that a champion cricketer, who had been responsible for India winning so many games, had to bow out with four consecutive defeats.
Ofcourse, he will not realise that. It is not that this announcement wasn’t completely unexpected. He is 37 years old. He was jettisoned from whiteball cricket a longtime ago with a short appearance during the T20 World Cup in the West Indies. By the time, India play another Test in India, he will be older by a year. So, this was expected but it was expected at the end of the series and not in the middle of the series. Certainly not when he wasn’t even playing.
Ashwin and India’s dominance at home
The reason India remained so dominant at home over the last several years was purely due to the ability and skill of Ashwin. The opposition was terrified of fronting upto Ashwin on the Indian pitches. No amount of preparation before setting foot on these shores, proved enough to the threat of Ashwin. Alongwith Jadeja, he formed a potent spin combination.
In the olden days, there was a saying in Australia. If Lillee doesn’t get you, Thommo will. Much the same could be said about Ashwin and Jadeja. It is not a mere coincidence that the two series India lost at home, 2012 against England and 2024 against New Zealand were the two series during which Ashwin did not have any substantial impact at all. He dominated every touring squad during the intervening period. It shows the quality of the bowler.
Wrapping up Ravichandran Ashwin retires one
Ashwin will be remembered forever by those who had the fortune of seeing him perform for his team. Be it the nation or some local club. He never took a backfoot and was always ready for a scrap. He goes into the sunset, with his head held high and a man content in what he has achieved. The lawns across the cricketing world will forever remember that hero who walked on them. Did he have a couple of years of cricket left in him? He may have had but as Gavaskar used to say, it is better to retire when you are asked why rather than why not.
https://icricketcritique.com/ashwin-and-the-opening/
https://icricketcritique.com/it-was-all-on-the-streets/
https://icricketcritique.com/the-heartbreak-and-the-elation/
https://icricketcritique.com/ashwin-and-his-early-games/
https://icricketcritique.com/the-ashwin-autobiography-continuation/
https://icricketcritique.com/the-ashwin-autobiography-final-chapter/