Veteran Indian all-rounder R Ashwin has announced his retirement from international cricket. The announcement came as a surprise on Wednesday during a press conference following the drawn Test match between India and Australia at the Gabba.
“It’s a very emotional moment,” Ashwin said. “I have had a lot of fun, I have made a lot of memories alongside Rohit (captain Sharma) and my other teammates.”
R Ashwin announces retirement from Test cricket
Since his debut in 2011, Ashwin represented India in 106 Test matches, claiming an impressive 537 wickets. Australia was his most successful opponent, with 115 wickets at an average of 28.58 in 23 Tests.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma revealed he was aware of Ashwin’s intention to retire during the first Test in Perth. Sharma convinced him to participate in the second Test in Adelaide.
However, the 38-year-old spinner was omitted from the playing XI for the third Test in Brisbane, with Ravindra Jadeja taking his place.
“He felt if I am not needed now in the series, I am better off saying goodbye to the team,” captain Rohit said.
Ashwin’s retirement means he will be unavailable for the remaining two Test matches in Melbourne and Sydney. That narrows India’s spin bowling options for the rest of the series to Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar.
Ashwin’s departure marks the end of a remarkable Test career for one of India’s most successful bowlers.
R Ashwin’s Test career in numbers
| India’s Top 5 Wicket-Takers in Test Cricket | |||
| Players | Innings | Wickets | Average |
| Anil Kumble | 236 | 619 | 29.65 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 200 | 537 | 24.00 |
| Kapil Dev | 227 | 434 | 29.64 |
| Harbhajan Singh | 190 | 417 | 32.46 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 147 | 319 | 24.05 |
– Ashwin closed out his career as India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. He bowed out with 537 wickets to his name. Only Anil Kumble, with 619 wickets, had more.
| India’s Top 5 Wicket-Takers Against Australia in Tests | |||
| Players | Innings | Wickets | Average |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 43 | 115 | 28.58 |
| Anil Kumble | 38 | 111 | 30.32 |
| Harbhajan Singh | 35 | 95 | 29.95 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 33 | 89 | 20.35 |
| Kapil Dev | 38 | 79 | 25.35 |
– Ashwin’s dominance with the ball made him India’s most successful bowler against Australia in Test cricket.
| Top 5 Wicket-Taking Spinners in Test Cricket | |||
| Players | Innings | Wickets | Average |
| Muttiah Muralitharan | 230 | 800 | 22.72 |
| Shane Warne | 273 | 708 | 25.41 |
| Anil Kumble | 236 | 619 | 29.65 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 200 | 537 | 24.00 |
| Nathan Lyon | 246 | 533 | 30.46 |
– Ashwin finished as the fourth-highest wicket-taking spinner in Test cricket history behind Muttiah Muralitharan (800 wickets), Shane Warne (708 wickets) and Kumble (619 wickets). He was four wickets ahead of Nathan Lyon when he made the decision to call it quits.
| Top 5 Wicket-Takers in Test Cricket on Indian Soil | |||
| Players | Innings | Wickets | Average |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 127 | 383 | 21.57 |
| Anil Kumble | 115 | 350 | 24.88 |
| Harbhajan Singh | 103 | 265 | 28.76 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 97 | 238 | 20.71 |
| Kapil Dev | 119 | 219 | 26.49 |
– R Ashwin has taken the most wickets (383) with an excellent average of 21.57 in Test matches played in India. He finished ahead of Kumble (350), Harbhajan Singh (265), Ravindra Jadeja (238) and Kapil Dev (219).
– Ashwin took the bulk of his Test wickets at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, picking 41 scalps at the iconic venue. That was followed by Chennai’s Chepauk (36), Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium (33), Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium (33) and Nagpur’s Kapil Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium (31).
Outside India, he took most of his wickets at the Adelaide Oval (17) followed by the MCG (14), Galle (14), Windsor Park (12) and Colombo (11).
– As far as the batters who became his victims the most number of times, that unfortunate milestone belongs to Ben Stokes. The England skipper would be pleased to see the back of the off-spinner having been dismissed 13 times by him across 29 innings. That is followed by David Warner (11), Alastair Cook (9), James Anderson (9) and Tom Latham (9).
