NEW DELHI: Tributes have been flowing in ever since star Indian allrounder Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket.
Ashwin made the announcement on Wednesday at a hastily-called media conference following the drawn Test between Australia and India at the Gabba in Brisbane for the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Ashwin played 106 Tests for India since his 2011 debut, taking 537 wickets. He took more wickets against Australia than any other country, with 115 at 28.58 in 23 Tests against them.
On Friday, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) shared a heartfelt tribute to Ashwin who finished seventh on the all-time list for most wickets and second only to Anil Kumble (619) for India.
The video shows Ashwin taking his first wicket in Test cricket and goes through with the spinner grabbing his 200th, 300th, 400th and 500th Test wickets apart from also reaching one of his six Test hundreds.
Ashwin says in the video, “Look I don’t know here to begin honestly, I think I made myself a promise in 2012, we lost a series against England, a tricky one, it was very early in my career and I was just telling myself we are not going to lose another one. Ever. And that’s what I promised myself.”
Ashwin, the only Indian allrounder to score 3000 runs and take 500 wickets, formed a deadly combination with Ravindra Jadeja which was the cornerstone of India’s decade-long Test domination at home. The duo became a nightmare for visiting teams on the turning tracks in India.
A clip from 2016 has Ashwin saying, “All I would like to do is to enjoy my game here, my name is announced to come out to bowl or bat, the way the crowd will erupt is something I really look forward to.”
Ashwin ceased to be a regular feature in the Test XI overseas but ended with 154 away wickets.
A clip from 2019 has Ashwin saying, “I believe I need to keep improving as a cricketer. It’s been a magical season and it’s going to be pretty difficult to replicate this again.”
Ashwin was more than a handy batter, scoring 3,503 runs with six centuries and 14 fifties.
Cut to 2021 and Ashwin says, “It’s been a sort of a dreamy ride, it’s been a fairytale I must say.”
India’s 12-year home supremacy and their 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy victory in Australia were both greatly aided by Ashwin.
A clip from 2021 has Ashwin saying, “How many ever wickets you take, how many ever runs you make, in ten years time you won’t remember them, it’s the memories that matters.”
Ashwin shares the record for 11 Player-of-the-Series accolades with the legendary Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka and is one of only 11 all-rounders with 3000 Test runs and 300 wickets.
Ashwin continues in the video, “But if somebody had told me in 2011 that I would be getting so many wickets, I’d be retiring on 2024 December, the 18th, I wouldn’t have believed them because I knew that this is the game that I love but I never did expect that I would get so much so love, so many wickets and so many runs as well. I’m very glad, deep sense of gratitude for everyone that supported me, everyone that’s challenged me. So happy today. Thank you.”
Ashwin also played 116 one-day and 65 Twenty20 internationals and was a part of the sides that won the ODI World Cup in 2011 and the Champions Trophy in 2013.