One minute Ravichandran Ashwin was in Brisbane. Then in a flash he found himself in Chennai. That’s the next morning following a 14-hour flight from one continent to another.
That’s the unbelievable tale of India’s brilliant off-spinner who unexpectedly decided to call time on his 15-year-long international career in the middle of the tour of Australia with two Tests to go in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Ashwin and his teammates were preparing for the crucial fourth Test in Melbourne on Boxing Day when he decided to quit the international scene, stunning his teammates and millions of fans around the world.
No fuss, no big farewell speeches and presentations. It was a poignant end for Ashwin, an engineer by profession who decided to swing his arm and become the best during his career. In a few weeks it is almost certain the truth behind the 38-year-old’s decision will be revealed. His decision also surprised his wife and parents who were making arrangements to fly Down Under for the final two Tests in Melbourne that starts on Boxing Day and for the finale in Sydney. Instead, Ashwin returned home.
The timing of his retirement raised some eyebrows including that of former India great Sunil Gavaskar who believes Ashwin was given a raw deal by team management over the years. But retirements midway through a series aren’t unprecedented. In 2014 Mahendra Singh Dhoni made his Test exit abruptly, also in Australia. But why did Ashwin quit? Was it fatigue, form or frustration? I strongly believe it was frustration with the Indian selectors. Here is one if the world’s greatest spinners who has often had to play second fiddle to others in the last few seasons.
In England last year Ashwin was relegated to 12th man in the World Test Championship final versus Australia and he also demoted to water boy on several other occasions when he should have been on the field as a player. But the big man with a huge smile never took issue with management until now when something must have snapped in the mind of this genius. Prior to leaving for this series Ashwin was apparently convinced by management he would be included in the five Tests, but he was left out of the first Test, played the second and found himself warming the bench in the third. Ashwin’s father, also named Ravichandran and a former fast bowler, was also taken aback by the abrupt retirement but said bluntly it was “humiliation” that played a major role in the decision.
Ashwin tried to play down his father’s comments by saying it was “a careless slip of the tongue.” He added: “My dad isn’t media trained. I request you all to leave him alone.”
It is no secret that there is a major disconnect when it comes to selection in the Indian team ever since Rahul Dravid stepped down as head coach earlier this year and was replaced by Gautham Gambhir. Dravid was all class and people are still trying to figure out Gambhir, a former national team opening batsman. In fact, Gambhir was at the helm recently when India was whitewashed 3-0 by New Zealand for the very first time at home.
Former India spin Erapalli Prasanna had two words for Ashwin bowing out. He “wasn’t treated well.” It may be of interest to know that Australia always fielded its best spinner Nathan Lyon even on a pitch that was unlikely to favour spinners. But not Ashwin. When news reached the Australia camp that he was leaving, there is a video showing Lyon hugging Ashwin while Aussie captain Pat Cummins came to shake the Indian’s hand. Lyon then handed a jersey signed by the Aussie squad to Ashwin. “Well done, mate, thank you, you have been great,” Cummins was heard saying to the talismanic India spinner.
Meanwhile Lyon added he had nothing but respect for Ashwin. “Just the way Ash has conducted himself on and off the field for a number of years now, and his skill set is incredible. We’ve got different opinions on different things; there’s no right or wrong. But to have those conversations with a bowler like Ashwin is amazing,” Lyon told Fox Cricket (via NDTV).
Ashwin made his Test debut in 2011 against the West Indies and since then established himself as one of the greatest. He earned 106 caps for India and took 537 wickets. He was a solid batsman as well and had six centuries.
Meanwhile, Australia has confirmed that rookie opener Nathan McSweeney will be replaced by 19-year-old Sam Konstas for the Melbourne Test. Star batsman Travis Head is also questionable after an injury . . . India’s hopes of having fast bowler Mohammad Shami in the lineup were dashed on Tuesday when swelling on his left knee left him stranded in India. But off-spinner 26-year-old Tanush Kotian of Mumbai was given the go-ahead to join the squad as Ashwin’s replacement.
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