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On Wednesday, December 18, veteran Indian all-rounder and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin announced retirement from international cricket. The decision from the Indian all-rounder came soon after the third Test, played at The Gabba in Brisbane was drawn after umpires called off the play due to bad light followed by incessant rain.
However, the 38-year-old accompanied Team India skipper Rohit Sharma at the post-match press conference to confirm his decision, he also added that it is “an emotional day and would not be taking any questions” in regards to the same. But Rohit Sharma, who addressed the press, further spoke of Ashwin’s decision which was in news early at the start of Day 5’s play.
Somehow convinced him to stay for the pink-ball Test match: Rohit Sharma
Speaking at the presser, Rohit Sharma revealed that the conversation around Ashwin’s retirement were on when he arrived in Perth. He also added that Ashwin understood the team’s plans and combinations going forward, leading him to call off his time while revealing that he somehow managed to keep him for the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. "I heard R Ashwin’s retirement when I came to Perth. I was not there for the first few days of the Test. This was in his mind since then. There are obviously a lot of things that went behind it. Ashwin, when he is in position, will be able to answer that. He understands the kind of combinations we are thinking. When we came here as well, we were not sure which spinner was going to play. We just wanted to assess and see what kind of conditions we get in front of us,” Rohit Sharma revealed at the post-match press conference.
“But yeah, when I arrived in Perth, we had a chat and somehow convinced him to stay for the pink-ball Test match. It happened so that he felt 'if I am not needed right now in the series, then I am better off saying goodbye to the game. Keeping Ashwin in mind, if this is what he thinks, we should allow him to think that way. We should all standby his call. That is what I am thinking right now and that's the same mindset of Gautam Gambhir as well. It's important a player like him who has had great moments with the team is allowed to make such a call," Rohit added.
It is to be noted that Ashwin retires from international cricket with immediate effect, having finished as the country’s second highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. He brings down curtains to his 13-year-long career having played 106 Tests and scalping 537 wickets, only behind Anil Kumble’s tally of 619 wickets.
