Dharamsala
\nBatters around the world heaved a sigh of relief on Wednesday as Ravichandran Ashwin brought down the curtain on an international career that saw the India spinner take more than 500 test wickets with an arsenal that included the dreaded \u2018carrom ball\u2019. The 38-year-old was not selected for the opening Test against Australia in Perth but returned to the side for the day-night second match in Adelaide, where he took one wicket.
\nThat would prove to be his final Test after Ashwin was again left out in Brisbane where India snatched a draw in a rain-blighted contest. Ashwin\u2019s 537 wickets from 106 Tests is the second-highest by an Indian bowler behind Anil Kumble\u2019s 619. He also played 116 one-dayers and 65 Twenty20 Internationals, finishing with 765 wickets across formats.
\n\u201cThis will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level,\u201d a composed Ashwin told reporters with captain Rohit Sharma by his side.
\n\u201cI do feel there\u2019s a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer, but I would like to express that and probably showcase that in club-level cricket.\u201d Since making his India debut in an ODI against Sri Lanka in 2010, Ashwin went on to fill the void created by Kumble\u2019s retirement.
\nA cerebral spinner with a fast bowler\u2019s aggression, Ashwin grew to become a match-winner on India\u2019s turning tracks, where his impeccable control and ability to bowl long spells made him a huge asset.
\nObsessed with the small details of his craft, the off-spinner constantly tinkered with his technique in his relentless quest for perfection.
\nAshwin bowled leg spin in domestic cricket to expand his repertoire and mastered the \u2018carrom ball\u2019, in which he flicked the ball with the knuckle.
\nHe is also an unabashed advocate of \u2018Mankading\u2019, famously running out Jos Buttler after the English player had strayed out of the crease at the non-striker\u2019s end during an Indian Premier League match.
\nThe Indian was a big influence on his peers, with Australian spinner Nathan Lyon calling him one of his \u201cbiggest coaches\u2019 in the run-up to the ongoing series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
\nAshwin, who will return home on Thursday, also evolved into a decent Test all-rounder, hitting six hundreds in the format.
\nIndia captain Rohit said he convinced Ashwin to stay on for the pink ball Test in Adelaide after learning of the spinner\u2019s retirement plans.
\nWhile Ashwin\u2019s retirement was kept tightly under wraps, the emotional-looking spinner was pictured hugging teammate Virat Kohli in the team changing room during the match on Wednesday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dharamsala Batters around the world heaved a sigh of relief on Wednesday as Ravichandran Ashwin brought down the curtain on an international career that saw the India spinner take more than 500 test wickets with an arsenal that included the dreaded \u2018carrom ball\u2019. The 38-year-old was not selected for the opening Test against Australia in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-450324","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n