In the time Ravichandran Ashwin spent compiling 537 Test wickets, 37 five-fors, 11 Man of the Series performances, six Test centuries and 14 fifties, he came across as someone hard to decode. One never knew what he was going to come up with. He was a batsman, who went on to become an all-time great spinner. He bowled off-spin, but time and again sent down the carrom ball. However, the timing of his retirement was a curveball. His family had seen it coming, but they too were surprised that it came in the middle of a series. His friends at Ramakrishnapuram 1st Street whom he thanked — for bowling endlessly and giving priceless memories — in a lengthy WhatsApp message on a common group, were wondering what was going on until they saw him address the press conference. “For a while, he has been staying low. Even when we shared stuff to brighten his mood, he wasn't responding. We knew it was coming, but not now,” was how one of them reacted. Within the team, except for skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir, the decision came as a shock for the rest. Virat Kohli's hug, which was played repeatedly by the broadcasters, seemed every bit spontaneous as he, along with the rest of them, got to know only at the end of the Brisbane Test. All of it brings the question, why? Especially when the series is alive and the next two Tests are in Melbourne and Sydney, where India could even play two spinners. It was a decision that surprised many, but Ashwin for long had been contemplating retirement, as far back as the previous edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India in 2023. With his knee giving him trouble, he had given retirement a thought. Those in his close circle say even before he left for Australia, he was in two minds, but wanted to give one final push as there isn’t any immediate Test series lined up post the tour Down Under. So once he boarded the flight to Perth, his family and friends expected him to finish the series, with father Ravichandran even booking flight tickets to watch the Boxing Day and New Year Tests. On Tuesday night, he phoned to inform them that December 18 would be his last day as an international cricketer. Not feeling wanted Beyond his troubling knee, what also seems to have prompted the decision are events over the last few months. When the Test season began with the home series against Bangladesh – in which he picked up the Man of the Series award – Ashwin still seemed to have at least a couple of years left in him. Although the series against New Zealand didn’t go along expected lines in terms of wickets, he still seemed to be in his element. That series defeat, as Ashwin admitted on his YouTube channel, was hard to overcome in the sense that a proud unbeaten home record had been dented. He would even search for answers with his two daughters. The Australia tour was supposed to be a means to get back on track, once he decided to join the tour. But once there, the writing seems to have been on the wall with the team management hinting that even if they played two spinners, Ashwin may not get a look-in. With the top order not putting up enough runs, India seem to be inclined towards Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. As Rohit revealed, conversations around Ashwin’s retirement surfaced in Perth itself and it was only after the skipper cajoled him, did the off-spinner stay back and feature in the pink-ball Test. But despite bowling well at Adelaide in conditions loaded in favour of seamers, he was benched for Brisbane. And with no certainty of playing in Melbourne and Sydney, Ashwin seemed to have read the message. In the past, when he was dropped from the white-ball team, he spent days searching for answers. But of late, he has spoken about being in a happy space, one that seems to have triggered this decision as well. The background song he chose for his goodbye message on Instagram perhaps summed up his mood. At 38, every match in which he warms the bench is a missed opportunity for him. “I do feel there's a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer, but I would like to express that and probably showcase that in club-level cricket, but this will be the last day,” was a clear indication that Ashwin still wants to play. When and where is the question.
