Harbhajan Singh on Ravichandran Ashwin Retirement: Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has surprised everyone and announced his retirement from international cricket after the draw of the third Test match of the series held at Gabba in Brisbane. Everyone was surprised by this decision of Ashwin because it was unexpected for the fans. Ashwin was not included in India’s playing eleven in the first Test of the series and after his retirement, many veterans believe that after this decision of the team management, the decision to retire became easy for him. After the Perth Test, he got a place in the playing eleven for the day-night test match played in Adelaide and this was his last international match for India.
Ashwin’s recent performance, his place in the team, age, fitness and emerging players are some of the factors that might have influenced Ashwin’s decision. When former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh was asked about Ashwin’s decision, he admitted that it was a big shock. But, when Turbanator came to know about Ajit Agarkar’s selection committee’s plan for England Test selection, the picture became clear in front of him.
From Dainik Jagran Conversation Regarding Ashwin’s retirement, when Harbhajan was asked how difficult this decision was as a player, Harbhajan Singh replied, “When I retired, I was out of the team. But every player This decision is very difficult for a player, but only R Ashwin knows how difficult it will be to retire while being in the team, or those players who have retired while being in the team, but as far as I have got the information, Test cricket for Indian team at home We have to play in October next year and before that we have to play five matches with England.”
Harbhajan further said, “When you have such good records, so many wickets to your name and when you are not included in the playing eleven on a foreign tour, then somewhere in the player’s mind it comes to the mind that what else have I got to prove. From what I am hearing from here and there, perhaps it is in Ashwin’s mind that now Washington Sundar will be given preference in his place, where only two spinners will go, so many things are in his mind. Must be going on in my mind. All I can say is that this decision would not have been so easy for him.”
Regarding Ashwin’s decision to retire, Harbhajan said, “I am shocked by his decision. It is definitely surprising to take such a big decision in the middle of an ongoing series. Perhaps we were expecting to see him in Sydney and Melbourne.” Because the role of spinners is very important, he has taken this decision very thoughtfully. He has been a match winner. and many matches He has won for India. I wish him all the best for his future.
Let us tell you, Ashwin is retiring as India’s second highest wicket-taker in Test cricket after Anil Kumble. He played a total of 106 Test matches for India, in which he took 537 wickets at an average of 24. Ashwin played only one Test (Day-Night Test) of India’s first three Test matches during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, in which he took one wicket for 53 runs.
Earlier, Ashwin was a part of the Test series between India and New Zealand, where India had to face a narrow defeat of 0-3. Ashwin’s performance in that series was very poor. He took only nine wickets in three Test matches at an average of 41.2. Ashwin is not a regular part of the Indian Test XI on overseas tours and India’s next home series is in November next year. Before that India has to go to England during summer.
Ashwin also has 3503 Test runs in his name with six Test centuries and 14 half-centuries and he is only the 11th all-rounder in the world to do the double of 300 wickets and 3000 runs. He has the maximum number of 11 Player of the Series awards, equal to Muttiah Muralitharan. If we talk about ODI cricket, he has 156 wickets in 116 matches at an average of 33 and economy of 4.93, in which his best performance has been 4/25. He has scored 707 runs in ODI with the help of one half-century, while in T20, he has taken 72 wickets in 65 matches at an economy of 6.90 and an average of 23, in which his best performance has been 4/8.
