Ravichandran Ashwin has told the Indian team management that he does not want to tour Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Test series unless he is guaranteed a playing XI place, making his shock decision to retire after being stopped by coach Gautam Gambhir in two of the three matches so far. I got off.
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The match he played in Adelaide came only after Rohit Sharma arrived Down Under and insisted on recalling the off-spinner. However, a fuming Ashwin had to convince his captain to take the field.
Such bombshell details emerged in a Press Trust of India report as the cricket-crazy nation came to terms with the sudden end of a great career.
Ashwin, who has taken 537 Test wickets in 106 matches at 24:00, announced in a snap press conference after the third Test in Brisbane that his international cricket career was over midway through the series. He wasn’t asked any questions. “It’s really a very touching moment. I don’t think I’m in a position to answer the question in the right way,” he said. And soon after, he disappeared from the press podium. More than 2 minutes.
Ashwin is set to leave Australia today in a surprising mid-series exit that few expected. The series survives at 1-1 after a rain-induced draw in Brisbane and India are gearing up for big-stakes Tests in Melbourne and Sydney with Ashwin out of the running.
Rohit said the 38-year-old almost quit after missing the first Test.
“We had a conversation when I arrived in Perth and I somehow convinced him to attend the pink-ball Test match. And then it happened,” reveals Rohit.
“He felt that if I wasn’t needed for the series now, it would be better to say goodbye to the game.”
This is an extraordinary end to a great Indian career. Ashwin tracks down fellow spinner Anil Kumble (619), the only one to take a Test wicket.
“It is understood Ashwin was considering retirement after India suffered a shock 0-3 home series loss to New Zealand. The legendary off-spinner has conveyed to the team management that he will not travel to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy unless he is guaranteed a playing XI place,” says a Press Trust of India report.
“India’s decision to play Washington Sundar ahead of Ashwin in the Perth Test seemed to be the turning point. Ashwin returned for the pink-ball Test in Adelaide at the insistence of Rohit Sharma, but Ravindra Jadeja was preferred for the subsequent Brisbane Test. As Rohit mentioned after the third Test at the Gabba, the team composition for the final matches in Melbourne and Sydney remained uncertain.
“Perth’s decision to omit Ashwin from Washington Sundar appears to have been taken in Rohit’s absence and coach Gautam Gambhir is said to have made a significant statement. When Rohit was linked with the team, he had to convince Ashwin to play for Adelaide.”
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According to a report in Hindustan Times, Ashwin had not told anyone other than Rohit of his retirement plans, citing “management’s mistrust of Ashwin’s overseas performances”. However, he shared a touching hug with Virat Kohli just before the announcement.
“Usually such decisions are communicated to the top in advance. But that wasn’t the case with Ashwin. Ashwin has been one of the strongest pillars of India’s success and whoever helped take the team to such incredible heights is expected to provide some clues to the authorities. However, Ashwin did not reveal his cards to anyone except the skipper. Even Virat Kohli, skipper Ashwin, was not in the loop although he enjoyed most of the success with his tribute.
“Even the BCCI selection panel reiterated their belief that they were not informed in advance and only Ashwin decided to retire.”
Sharma said: “I heard this when I came to Perth. Obviously I wasn’t here for the first three or four days of the Test match, but this has been on his mind since then. There was clearly a lot going on behind the scenes. I’m sure Ash will be able to answer that when he’s in that position.
His sudden exit drew criticism from Indian cricket icon Sunil Gavaskar, who said it had left his team in crisis.
“He could have said, ‘After the series, you won’t be selected for India.’ Likewise, if MS Dhoni retires at the end of the third Test of the 2014-15 series, one shortfall will remain,” Gavaskar said.
“The selection committee has selected so many players for the tour with a purpose. If there is an injury, you can select from the reserve players to be included in the team.
“So Sydney is a place where there is a lot of support for spinners. India could therefore play with two spinners. You never know. He certainly could have been there. I don’t know what the stadium in Melbourne is like. Generally, I tend to watch towards the end of a series. That’s it. It’s not normal in the meantime.
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The Indian media was shocked by Ashwin’s exit.
Sahil Malhotra of The Times of India wrote, “Who would have thought that a kitbag arriving on Australian soil in Perth would be re-routed mid-series from Brisbane to Chennai instead of Brisbane-Melbourne-Sydney-Chennai?”
“The professor of spin bowling, one of India’s greatest Test winners, a quintessential team man and an asset to any captain, had questions at his fingertips. Why now?”
Sriram Veera, writing for the Indian Express, said Ashwin’s exit had the whiff of a conspiracy.
“As he was leaving the media room after announcing his retirement, Rohit made empty remarks about how Ashwin’s decision should be respected when asked why this decision was taken in the middle of the series.
“That may be the case, but there are still two Tests left and this is the case, especially when the final match is played in Sydney, where conditions may sometimes allow for two spinners, or at least provide scope for the best spinner in the team to play. Strange decision.
“The best spinner, especially in the Indian team, not only by reputation but also by the way all three have bowled in the three Test matches, is R Ashwin. His decision and management’s inability to convince him to reconsider gives the whole episode a strange whiff.”
Veera’s analysis article also said: “He may be known for his cerebral art, but Ashwin is an emotional cricketer. He once revealed to this newspaper that his father made an outrageous remark about his traits, which he said were “ruining his career”, causing him to retreat to his room and cry. Unable to handle the overwhelming emotions, he ends up receiving counseling from a therapist. She said she is in a ‘happy space’ these days, trying to gather as many ‘moments to remember’ rather than stressing out over small things.
Another PTI piece gave another fascinating insight into how Ashwin’s cricket was shaped by his father, who was controversial while embracing the ‘Mankad’ run-out.
“He is a person with strong values. During his junior cricket days, his father Ravichandran saw him taking an unfair stance and asked him to kick out the non-striker. It started his try with a run-out on the non-striker’s side. He believed in the rules and played by them. The cheating ‘Spirit of Cricket’ was unacceptable to him.”
