Ravichandran Ashwin delivered one of the most heartbreaking moments in cricket last year when he decided to draw curtains on his international career after the third Test match against Australia. His last international appearance was during the pink-ball game at Adelaide
Ravichandran Ashwin (Pic: File Pic)
Former Team India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin opened up on his retirement and getting a farewell game by saying that he did not want a farewell match if he did not deserve to play in the team.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ravichandran Ashwin delivered one of the most heartbreaking moments in cricket last year when he decided to draw curtains on his international career after the third Test match against Australia. His last international appearance was during the pink-ball game at Adelaide.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin said that what difference would it make if people clapped for him when he came out with a ball?
"What difference will this make if I came out with the ball and people are clapping? How long will people talk about it? When social media was not there, people talked about it and forgot after one week. There is no need for a farewell. The game has given us a lot and we have played with a lot of happiness," said Ashwin.
Also Read: "Given the number of matches they play, Ireland have done well against us": Deepti Sharma
He also said that he did not want his farewell match if he did not deserve a place in the team on the basis of performance and was there in the team just because he had to be given a nice send-off.
"I want to play more cricket. Where is the place? Obviously not in the Indian dressing room but from somewhere else. I want to be honest with the game. Imagine if I want to play farewell Test but I do not deserve a place. Imagine, I am only in the team because it is my farewell Test. I do not want that. I felt there was more strength in my cricket. I could have played more but it is always better to finish when people ask 'why not' than why," Ashwin concluded.
India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 1-3, succumbing to a six-wicket defeat in the fifth and final Test at Sydney after setting Australia a target of 162 runs. With this loss, India is officially out of contention for the ICC World Test Championship final at Lord's in June next year, as Australia and South Africa have sealed their places.
In 106 Tests for India, the legendary all-rounder took 537 wickets at an average of 24.00, with best figures of 7/59. He claimed 37 five-wicket hauls and eight ten-wicket match hauls in his Test career. He is the eighth-highest wicket-taker in Tests overall and the second-highest for India, behind Anil Kumble (619 wickets). Ashwin also holds the record for the second-most five-wicket hauls in Tests, trailing only Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan (67).
With the bat, Ravichandran Ashwin scored 3,503 runs at an average of 25.75, including six centuries and 14 fifties in 151 innings, with a highest score of 124.
In 116 ODIs, Ashwin took 156 wickets at an average of 33.20, with best figures of 4/25. He also scored 707 runs at an average of 16.44, including one fifty, a knock of 65 in 63 innings. He is the 13th-highest wicket-taker for India in the format.
Across all formats, Ashwin took 765 wickets in 287 matches, making him India's second-highest wicket-taker after Anil Kumble (953 wickets).
Ravichandran Ashwin was also a key member of the Indian teams that won the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.
(With ANI Inputs)
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
