Brisbane [Australia], December 18 : After the completion of the Brisbane Test against India on Wednesday, Australia skipper Pat Cummins reacted to off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's retirement announcement and said it was "a bit of a surprise".
India's celebrated off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin revealed his decision to retire from international cricket moments after the Brisbane Test ended in a draw.
"The timing was a bit of a surprise. He's been a fantastic player all around the world. There aren't too many finger spinners that have that kind of longevity. He'll go down as one of the all-time greats. He was always a fantastic competitor, we had a lot of battles against him over the years here in Australia as well over in India. Just a massive respect from our change room to the career that he's had," Pat Cummins said in the post-match press conference.
Earlier in the day, Ashwin appeared alongside India's captain Rohit Sharma at the post-match press conference to announce his decision. Speculation about his retirement began to build when he became emotional and was hugged by Virat Kohli.
Ashwin played 106 Tests, taking a staggering 537 wickets, including 37 five-wicket hauls, and scored 3,503 runs. His contributions to Indian cricket extend far beyond these impressive statistics.
He is the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket history and the second-highest for India, behind Anil Kumble (619). He also has the second-most five-wicket hauls in Tests, after Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan (67).
Ashwin was instrumental in India's dominance in Test cricket, especially during their rise to the top between 2014 and 2019.
In limited-overs cricket, Ashwin played 181 matches, taking 228 wickets. He featured in 116 ODIs, claiming 156 wickets with best figures of 4/25 and scoring 707 runs. In 65 T20Is, he took 72 wickets, with best figures of 4/8, and scored 184 runs.
With 765 international wickets across formats, Ashwin is India's second-highest wicket-taker, behind Kumble (953). He was also part of India's 2011 World Cup-winning squad and the 2013 Champions Trophy team.
Ashwin's retirement marks the end of a remarkable era, leaving behind a legacy that will inspire future generations.