Ashwin bows out: A legend exits on his own terms
NEW DELHI: "If I am not needed right now in the series, I am better off saying goodbye to the game," R. Ashwin confided to India skipper Rohit Sharma before announcing his surprise international retirement. Refusing to let anyone else script his departure after 14 years of dedicated service, Ashwin made the decision to bow out of international cricket on his own terms.
It is understood that retirement had been on Ashwin’s mind following India’s shocking 0-3 home series loss to New Zealand. The legendary off-spinner had conveyed to the team management that he would not travel to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy unless guaranteed a spot in the playing XI.
India's decision to play Washington Sundar ahead of Ashwin in the Perth Test seemed to be the tipping point. Although Ashwin returned for the pink-ball Test in Adelaide at Rohit Sharma's insistence, Ravindra Jadeja was preferred for the subsequent Brisbane Test. As Rohit stated after the drawn third Test in Gabba, the squad’s composition for the final matches in Melbourne and Sydney remained uncertain.
"There was no nudge from the selection committee. Ashwin is a legend in Indian cricket and he has the right to take his own call," a senior BCCI source told PTI on the condition of anonymity.
The decision to omit Ashwin for Washington Sundar in Perth appeared to have been taken in Rohit’s absence, with coach Gautam Gambhir reportedly having a significant say. By the time Rohit linked up with the team, he had to persuade Ashwin to play in Adelaide.
"When I arrived in Perth, this was a chat we had, and I somehow convinced him to stay for that pink-ball Test match. Then after that, it just happened," Rohit revealed. "He felt that if I am not needed right now in the series, I am better off saying goodbye to the game."
"It's important when a player like him, who has had so many moments with the Indian team and has been a truly big match-winner for us, is allowed to make those decisions on his own. If it was now, so be it," Rohit added.
Ashwin’s record speaks for itself: 537 Test wickets at the age of 38, a testament to his skill and dedication. However, the New Zealand series served as an indication of the changing guard. Across three matches, Ashwin claimed nine wickets, with two played on spin-friendly pitches in Pune and Mumbai. Washington Sundar, in comparison, took 12 wickets in Pune, where Ashwin managed five.
Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had announced his retirement from Test cricket after the third match of the 2014-15 series in Melbourne, citing the physical toll of long keeping sessions on his back. In Ashwin’s case, the realisation that he was no longer considered among India’s top two spinners in overseas conditions must have been hard to accept.
"There is a school of thought that even if India had gone with two spinners in Sydney, Jadeja would have been paired with Washington Sundar, as both are regarded as more capable batters in SENA countries," a source stated.
Ashwin's predecessor, Harbhajan Singh, felt the Chennai-born bowler could have delayed his announcement until the end of the Australia series. "Numbers don't lie, and he has such a phenomenal record. I would have ideally liked him to stay back for the final two Tests, as in Sydney, he could have played a part. But it’s an individual call," Harbhajan told PTI.
"When the name is as big as Ashwin’s, it is the player who decides. Maybe he didn’t want to hang around," added the 'Turbanator'.
India’s next Test series is in England from June to August, where the team may take no more than two specialist spinners who can also contribute with the bat. The following home series is scheduled for October-November, leaving a ten-month gap. By the time the current World Test Championship cycle ends in 2027, Ashwin would have turned 40, with the transition in Indian cricket likely complete.
For Ashwin, wearing a fluorescent green bib reserved for substitutes was never an option. "He is an astute reader of the game, both on and off the field, and he probably gauged what was in store for him. That might have made it easier to take this decision," said a source close to the team.