R Ashwin's retirement announcement at the end of the Brisbane Test sent shockwaves through Indian cricket. Since he said he was too emotional to go into reasons and explanations, speculation has been rife as to what made him take the step. Here, we look at five possible reasons why Ashwin may have decided to walk away.
New coach and set-up
Ashwin enjoyed his most prolific years under the captaincy of Virat Kohli, taking 293 wickets in just 55 Tests. Under Rohit Sharma’s leadership, he was every bit as effective, with his 100 wickets in 20 Tests coming at an even better average and strike-rate. For most of the Kohli years, Ashwin worked with Ravi Shastri as coach and Bharat Arun as bowling coach. Though a pace bowler in his playing days, Arun played a big part in Ashwin reinventing himself midway through his career.
With the Rahul Dravid (coach) and Paras Mhambrey (bowling coach) combination that followed, Ashwin felt similarly valued. Under both dispensations, Ashwin often sat out overseas Tests, but the messaging was clear. On this Australia tour, if you read between the lines of what Ashwin and Rohit said at the press conference, there appear to have been mixed messages.
Also Read - More senior players to call it quits, R Ashwin's retirement just the beginning: Report
New Zealand series
It’s a measure of how incredibly consistent he was that Ashwin never took less than 10 wickets in a home series of three or more Tests. And only once, against England in 2012-13, did he average more than 31 with the ball. That changed with the New Zealand series in October-November, when his nine wickets in three Tests cost him 41.22 apiece. Washington Sundar comfortably outbowled him, and suddenly, it wasn’t just Ravindra Jadeja that he had to contend with.
The Sundar effect
For years, rather like the young Ashwin, Sundar was pigeonholed as a white-ball player. He had a modest first-class record, and was very much seen as a bits-and-pieces all-rounder. Then, the New Zealand series happened, with Sundar taking 16 wickets in two Tests. He's now 25, the exact same age Ashwin was when he broke into the Test side. Was there an element of not standing in his Tamil Nadu teammate’s way in Ashwin’s decision to step aside?
Watch - 'Sachin paaji left...': R Ashwin's farewell speech leaves Rohit Sharma and Co. teary-eyed
New WTC cycle
You can argue all you like about Gautam Gambhir's decisions as coach, but he has been mandated to do the job until 2027. That includes the next World Test Championship cycle as well. Having been part of a team that fell apart after the 2011 World Cup win, Gambhir knows how painful transition can be. Moving legends on is never easy, but it’s his job to get the new generation together and playing with confidence by the time the next cycle is underway. Ashwin was never going to be part of that long-term plan.
Overseas Tests
It's quite a remarkable statistic. Of the 65 home Tests India played after Ashwin's debut in November 2011, he didn't miss a single one. Of the 67 played overseas, he was part of the XI in only 41. Karn Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav and, now, Sundar are among those that have been picked ahead of him. With his two daughters now of school-going age and a tour of Australia meaning more than two months away from the family, sitting on the bench – with 537 wickets to your name – was simply no longer an appealing option.
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