Ashwin Bids Farewell to International Cricket

Ravichandran Ashwin has decided to step away from international cricket, making the announcement shortly after India's drawn third Test against Australia in Brisbane today on December 18. The news marks the end of a remarkable 14-year career that solidified his place among cricket’s legends.

As India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Test matches, Ashwin’s journey spanned 106 Tests, the final one being in Adelaide during the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. His impressive 537 wickets place him seventh on the all-time leaderboard of Test cricket greats.

In addition to his Test exploits, Ashwin made significant contributions in the limited-overs formats, featuring in 116 ODIs and 65 T20Is for India. He claimed 156 wickets in ODIs and 72 in T20Is. However, it was Test cricket where he truly shone, establishing himself as a match-winner with an extraordinary 37 five-wicket hauls. This achievement ties him with Shane Warne for the second-most in Test history, trailing only Muttiah Muralitharan’s 67. At the time of his retirement, Ashwin also held the record for the highest number of left-handed batters dismissed in Test cricket, with 268 to his name.

Ashwin’s contributions weren’t limited to bowling. As a dependable batter lower down the order, he amassed 3503 Test runs, including six centuries and 14 fifties. Notably, he holds the Indian record for scoring a century and taking a five-wicket haul in the same Test on four occasions, second only to Ian Botham’s five such performances globally.

Ashwin’s decision to retire brings down the curtain on an illustrious career filled with milestones and match-winning performances, leaving fans to celebrate the legacy of one of India’s finest cricketers.