The abrupt retirement of Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin from international cricket during the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy match against Australia was a surprise to many. Being one of India’s most reliable match-winners with 106 Test matches under his belt, his decision’s timing and justification have generated a lot of conjecture.
In the series, the veteran spinner had only participated in one Test match; the other matches were favoured to be played by Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. This trend of selection was questioned in light of Ashwin’s stellar record and expertise. Ashwin had been considering retirement for a while, according to reports, because of his ongoing knee problems and changing team relationships.
Another important element was Sundar’s return to the Indian Test team. Sundar, who was chosen before Ashwin for the first Test match in Perth, proved the confidence of head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar with strong performances, like as an 11-wicket haul against New Zealand earlier this year.
I hope the best for him going forward: Harbhajan Singh
According to Harbhajan Singh, a former Indian cricket player, Ashwin’s decision may have been significantly influenced by this shift in taste.
“Their choice astounded me. The fact that such a significant choice falls in the midst of an ongoing series is undoubtedly shocking. We should respect his decision, even though we may have expected to see him in Sydney and Melbourne given how crucial spinners are there. He must have given this choice a lot of thought. He’s a huge bowler. His accomplishments are commendable to me. He has won numerous games for India and is a bowler who can win games. “I hope the best for him in the future,” he told Dainik Jagran.
Only two spinners are probably going to be chosen for India’s next summer tour of England, where circumstances are usually favourable for seamers. Sundar and Jadeja lead the squad because they provide it more balance.
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