In the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, he made his final appearance for his country, taking one wicket and scoring 29 runs in two innings.
After the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia ended in Brisbane, veteran Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket. After the rain-affected third Test concluded in a draw, the announcement was made at the press conference held after the game.
“This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level,” Ashwin confirmed, reflecting on his tremendous career with the Indian team. “I do feel there’s a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer, but I would like to express that and probably showcase that in club-level cricket, but this will be the last day [for India],” he added.
Ashwin expressed his sincere appreciation for his teammates and the moments they have made together. “I’ve had a lot of fun. I must say I have created a lot of memories alongside Rohit [Sharma] and several of my other teammates, even though I have lost some of them [to retirements] over the last few years,” he reflected.
The seasoned spinner also thanked important people who helped shape his career. “We’re the last bunch of OGs, if we can say that, left out in the dressing room. I will be marking this as my date of having played at this level,” he said. He specifically thanked his teammates, mentioning Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, who have all contributed significantly to his success. “Most importantly, Rohit, Virat, Ajinkya, Pujara, who have taken those splendid catches around the bat to give me the number of wickets I’ve managed to get over the years,” he added.
In Indian cricket, Ashwin leaves behind an unmatched history. In 106 Test matches, he has taken 537 wickets for India at a remarkable average of 24. Just after the great Anil Kumble, who claimed 619 wickets in 132 Test matches, he is now India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.
Along with his outstanding bowling accomplishments, Ashwin was an excellent batsman who amassed 3503 runs in Test cricket, including six hundreds and fourteen half-centuries. Only eleven all-rounders have amassed more than 3000 runs and claimed more than 300 wickets in the format, including him.
Ashwin took 156 and 72 wickets in 116 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 65 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) while playing for India. In the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, he made his final appearance for his country, taking one wicket and scoring 29 runs in two innings.
