The all-rounder came into the post-match press conference with India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, to announce his decision.
The 38-year-old was brief while announcing that Wednesday marked his last day as an international cricket.
“I don’t want to make it about myself. This is my last day as an international cricketer. I’ve had a lot of fun. I have made a lot of memories alongside Rohit [Sharma] and several of my team-mates, even though we’ve lost some of them [to retirements] over the last few years. We’re the last bunch of OGs, we can say that. I will be marking this as my date of having played at this level,” Ashwin said in the post-match press conference.“Obviously there are a lot of people to thank, but I will be failing in my duties if I didn’t thank the BCCI and fellow team-mates. I want to name a few of them, some of the coaches [also] who have been part of the journey. Most importantly, Rohit, Virat [Kohli], Ajinkya [Rahane], [Cheteshwar] Pujara, who have taken some of the catches around the bat and given me the number of wickets I’ve managed to get over the years,” he added.
Ashwin’s decorated career
The bowler from Tamil Nadu had a great career that spanned a decade decade. He made an everlasting impression across the three formats. Ashwin redefined the art of off-spin by working on the established variations and adding a touch of his own. The spinner reinvented himself throughout his career. He made his Test debut in 2011 against the West Indies and went on to feature in 106 Tests and picked up 537 wickets, including 37 five-wicket hauls, and amassed 3,503 runs. He was one of India’s greatest match winners, winning 11 Player of the Match awards, a world record held along with Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan. Ashwin, who holds an engineering degree, often outsmarted batters with his guile. He is the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Tests overall and second-highest for India behind legendary spinner Anil Kumble (619 scalps). He also has second most five-wicket hauls in Tests, behind Muralitharan (67).
Having made his white-ball debut in 2010, Ashwin played 181 limited-over matches and snatched 228 wickets. He made 116 ODI appearances and took 156 wickets at an average of 33.20, with best figures of 4/25. He also made 707 runs at an average of 16.44, with one fifty, a knock of 65 in 63 innings. He is the 13th-highest wicket-taker in ODIs for India.
In 65 T20Is, he took 72 wickets at an average of 23.22. His best figures are 4/8. He also scored 184 runs in 19 innings at an average of 26.28, with best score of 31. He is the sixth-highest wicket-taker for India in T20Is.
With 765 scalps in 287 matches, he is India’s second-highest wicket-taker across all formats, next to Kumble (953). He also won the 2011 50-Over World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy with India.
Ashwin leaves behind a legacy
The 38-year-old leaves behind a legacy and huge empty boots to fill. Ashwin spearheaded the bowling attack and was a major face behind India’s rise to the top and eventual domination in Test cricket that lasted from 2014 to 2019.
When one turns to look at his dominance in the home conditions, he was a phenom. His expertise wasn’t just limited to the ball but also some impactful contributions with the bat.
Ashwin was the part of the 2011 team that one the ODI World, while he also featured in T20 World Cups from 2012-2022.
