After a 3-1 thrashing in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India’s cricket team was ordered to be reviewed by BCCI. When the third Test saw a huge star bowler and Ravichandran Ashwin suddenly hanging up his boots, it had thrown team dynamic issues. Ashwin who is second top wicket taker in Indian cricket, appeared satisfied with his decision and cricket journey.
New Delhi: India’s defeat by 3-1 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) has led to a comprehensive assessment of the team’s performance by Indian cricket authorities and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). This evaluation follows several challenges encountered both on and off the field during the tour, notably the unexpected retirement of Ravichandran Ashwin midway through the series, which was particularly surprising.
Ashwin, regarded as one of India’s finest cricketers, announced his retirement from international cricket following the third Test and chose to head back home. The 38-year-old’s choice surprised the Indian cricket community and was interpreted as an indication of underlying tensions within the team and a possible discord with the management.
Ashwin discussed his decision, mentioning that it was a spontaneous choice and that he felt he had lost his creative touch. The renowned Indian bowler expressed his astonishment at the reactions and believed it was not an issue that warranted significant attention.
“I think a lot. What to do in life. You all need to understand, that this happens instinctively. If someone gets to know, that their job is done, once that thinking comes, there is nothing to think. People said a lot of things. I don’t think it is a big deal. You think what happened? I did not play the first Test. I played the second did not play the third. It was possible I could play the next or not play the next. This is a side of my creativity and I was looking to explore it. At that time, I felt my creativity was over so it was over. It was simple,” said Ashwin on his Hindi Youtube Channel ‘Ash ki Baat’
Ashwin responded to the discussions regarding his decision not to participate in a farewell Test following his sudden retirement, stating that it was not something he desired. The experienced off-spinner mentioned that he still has more cricket to offer, but he is content to depart while people are questioning his choice rather than urging him to retire.
“What difference will this make if I came out with the ball and people are clapping? How long will people talk about it? When social media was not there, people talked about it and forgot after one week. There is no need for a farewell. The game has given us a lot and we have played with a lot of happiness.
“I want to play more cricket. Where is the place? Obviously not in the Indian dressing room but from somewhere else. I want to be honest with the game. Imagine if I want to play farewell test but I do not deserve a place. Imagine, I am only in the team because it is my farewell Test. I don’t want that. I felt there was more strength in my cricket. I could have played more but it is always better to finish when people ask ‘why’ and not ‘why not.’ One thing I would say that in our cricket career, it can happen that what we wanted does not happen. But when I retired, there was nothing like that. This is all learning. We play the game for the happiness it gives us,” Ashwin added.
Ashwin ranks as India’s second-leading wicket-taker in Test cricket, having claimed 537 wickets in 106 matches. In total, he has achieved 765 wickets across all formats for the national team. The only player with more wickets for India is Kumble, who has 953.
