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India's legendary spinner R Ashwin shocked the whole world with the sudden announcement of retirement from International cricket after the draw in the third Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane. The hint about the R Ashwin's retirement became widespread after the he was seen having a lengthy and emotional chat with Virat Kohli in dressing room. Later he confirmed the news when he walked to the post-match press conference with Indian captain Rohit Sharma.
Ashwin left the presser room right after the announcement without taking any questions and later Rohit Sharma was quizzed by a journalist about how they don't have any senior players like Ajinkya Rahane, and Cheteshwar Pujara in the national team anymore.
Rohit Sharma almost forgot R Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara haven't retired yet
Rohit replied to that in his own style and revealed that he is still in touch with Ajinkya Rahane as he is also from Bombay but it is tough to meet Pujara as he is mostly in Rajkot. He then said he will probably be in touch with Ashwin as well as he will most likely become a part of the broadcasting unit in the coming years.
“We will always remain friends. Yes, we won't be seeing each other on the tour, but we will definitely be meeting each other. Ajinkya is from Bombay, and we meet often. Pujara is hiding somewhere in Rajkot, so we don't meet so often. But Ashwin might join you in a few years, so we will keep meeting him," said Rohit.
However, Rohit, mid-sentence, realised that he is talking about Rahane and Pujara in a way that both have retired already. He quickly corrected himself and said that they haven't retired yet and was heard saying, 'Marwaaoge kya' which left the entire press room in splits.
“Let me clarify, Rahane has not retired. You'll get me killed (marwaaoge yaar). Pujara, too, hasn't retired. I just put them in the same sentence because of your question. At this moment, all three aren't there in the Indian team, but Ashwin has officially retired. But you never know, Rahane and Pujara might return later and the door is open for them,” he added.
Talking about R. Ashwin, the spin wizard at the time of his retirement, leaves behind an impressive Test record. He amassed 537 wickets in 106 Test matches, achieving an average of 24.00. This places him seventh on the all-time list of Test wicket-takers and second among Indian bowlers, surpassed only by the legendary Anil Kumble (619 wickets). Beyond Test cricket, Ashwin also contributed to India's limited-overs success. He played 116 ODIs and 65 T20Is, showcasing his versatility as a bowler across formats.
Meanwhile, the third Test match between Australia and India at the Gabba was ultimately drawn due to persistent rain. On the fifth day, Australia dismissed Akash Deep, then aggressively pursued quick runs to set India a challenging target. However, their momentum faltered, leaving them at 89/7 before declaring, setting India a target of 275 runs for victory. India faced only 2.1 overs, scoring eight runs, before bad light halted play. Unfortunately, heavy rain subsequently prevented any further play, resulting in a draw.
Meanwhile, India and Australia will again meet in the fourth Test which is scheduled to start from December 26 at the MCG.
