On the last day of the third Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test match in Brisbane, India and Australia faced up against rain. After the game, the headline changed to Ravichandran Ashwin, but both teams had to settle for a draw. To the astonishment of reporters, supporters, and former players, the seasoned spinner attended the post-match press conference alongside skipper Rohit Sharma. The 38-year-old then announced his retirement from international cricket.
Everyone was taken aback by the announcement, especially since Ashwin was chosen above other players and India is currently on tour in Australia. However, it has apparently not been ideal for him in the Indian camp. After being benched for the first Test match in Perth, he was reportedly disgruntled. It was only when captain Rohit Sharma returned that he was called up to the team for the Adelaide match.
He chose to retire from international cricket before the final two matches after being benched for the third Test match once more. During a private event, India legend Kapil also voiced his displeasure with Ashwin's retirement, believing the spinner should have received a more fitting send-off given his closeness to Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar in terms of mythical status.
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Badrinath on Ashwin
Subramaniam Badrinath, a former player for CSK, too offered his thoughts on Ashwin's retirement. The 44-year-old who is also Ashwin's former teammate shared Dev's viewpoint and discussed the effects of Washingon Sundar's inclusion in the starting lineup.
"I am shocked. I think, to be honest, he wasn't treated fairly. Rohit Sharma said he wanted to leave after the Perth Test match. He wanted to leave when Washington Sundar was played ahead of him. That tells you he was not happy," said Badrinath while talking to Star Sports Tamil.
"Honestly, I am saying something-it's a big thing for a cricketer from Tamil Nadu. There are many reasons for that. Players from a few other states get better chances. Despite all these odds, Ashwin went on to take more than 500 wickets and became a legend. Imagine what he must have gone through. I know he has faced quite a few things. On many occasions, efforts were made to sideline him. But every time, he has bounced back like a phoenix bird," he added.
