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R Ashwin opened up on why he did not want a farewell Test before his retirement from international cricket.
R Ashwin explains why he did not get a farewell Test.
The former Indian cricketer, Ravichandran Ashwin, opened up regarding his decision to retire, midway into the Border-Gavasakar Trophy, which had raised eyebrows. The spin legend did not want to spill too many details but maintained that his retirement from the international circuit might not have gone as he intended to.
Ashwin emphasised how this break away from the sport was important to him and how he did not want to speak too much regarding the fourth and fifth Tests to maintain the sanctity of the Indian dressing room.
“For me, this break was absolutely necessary. After coming here, I did not want to talk much about cricket, but still, I posted a tweet here and there after watching the Melbourne and Sydney Test,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, Ash Ki Baat.
“In my mind, I did not want to talk a lot more because I was in that dressing room before, and it is important to respect the sanctum of the dressing room as well,” he added.
Reflecting on how his retirement went down, Ashwin was honest and admitted that it was not how he wanted to end his playing career for the country. But he also accepted that it is something he has come to terms with.
“I have been playing for so many years, I can say that things won’t pan out exactly how we want to. Even when I retired, not a single thing went how I wanted. This is all a learning for me. Even if I won, that was a learning experience for me,” he commented.
During the Australian tour, Ashwin only managed one appearance despite being one of the most prolific spinners of the current generation. Time and again, the veteran off-spinner has been overlooked for several reasons when India has played overseas, a decision that many were baffled by considering his immense record.
But one thing Ashwin maintains is that if he was asked to come back and perform, he would remain confident in his abilities and back himself to deliver. But he is not the kind of person to ask for a farewell Test just for the sake of it, which was the reason why he did not get that dream farewell.
“Even now I know if I play one or two Tests or even a year, I know I will perform. That competitiveness is there within. That attitude gets built within us over a period of time,” Ashwin said.
But imagine if I am asking someone to play me for a celebratory Test. I’m not saying someone else should not get that, but for me, I think that is me doing injustice to the game,” he added.
