As torrential downpours in Brisbane halted the play, one could see an unexpected visual in the dressing room, where Virat Kohli was seen hugging Ravichandran Ashwin, before settling beside him for a conversation. There was something sombre about the entire sequence. It was enough for the netizens to conclude that the retirement announcement from Ashwin was imminent, but not many expected it to come right in the middle of a Border-Gavaskar series. Ashwin later came to the press conference, alongside Rohit Sharma, to confirm the news of his retirement.
"This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level," Ashwin said after the Brisbane Test at a press conference. "I do feel there's a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer, but I would like to express that and probably showcase that in club-level cricket, but this will be the last day [for India].
To mark the end of an illustrious, all-time great cricketing career, we look at seven of the most formidable records of R Ashwin.
Fastest To Complete 350 Test Wickets
The young and willy off-spinner didn't waste any time finding his feet in the choppy waters of international cricket. He seemed quite at ease with himself and took wickets in heaps on Indian soil. It's not a coincidence that India's domination in Test cricket started just when Ashwin found his peak form. No bowler has reached 350 wickets in Test quicker than Ashwin.
Fastest Indian Bowler To Reach 500 Wickets
In February earlier this year, R Ashwin dismissed Zak Crawley to complete his 500th wicket. It took him just 98 matches to reach this landmark figure. Moreover, he is only the second Indian spinner to record 500 wickets, after Anil Kumble.
37 Five-wicket Hauls in Test Cricket
When R Ashwin was at his peak, he'd make batters dance to his tunes. It was never an easy task for a batter to pick Ashwin's variation. The 38-year-old cricketer will walk into the dusk of his career with 37 five-fors. Only Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan has more five-fors than him.
Most Player of the Series Award in Test
At home, Ashwin was a puzzle that many batters tried to crack but in vain. The off-spinner was adjudged Player of the Series 11 times. This speaks volumes about his consistency and the threat he carried.
Ashwin's Strike Rate is The Best At Home
The game has seen many players who have mastered the home conditions but rarely has someone done it with such force and dexterity as R Ashwin. Countless batting units fell apart against Ashwin, whose bowling strike rate of 46 at home remains unparalleled.
