Brisbane, Dec 18 (PTI) India's premier off-spinner R Ashwin on Wednesday stunned the cricketing world by bidding adieu to his international career in the middle of the ongoing Test series against Australia here despite having a "bit of punch left" in him.
The 38-year-old retires from the game as the second highest wicket-taker for India in Tests with 537 scalps in 106 games, placing him only behind the great Anil Kumble (619 wickets) in the overall statistics.
In the limited-overs format, being part of the 2011 World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy-winning teams would count among the highlights of his career.
He will continue to play club cricket, including the IPL, where he will return to compete for Chennai Super Kings next year.
"Today will be the last day for me as an India cricketer in all formats," Ashwin said at the end of the drawn third Test here in a joint press conference with captain Rohit Sharma during which he declined to take any questions and left after making the announcement.
"I do feel there is bit of punch left in me as a cricketer but I would like to showcase that in club level cricket," he added.
Rohit said Ashwin had been thinking about retirement for a while and had spoken to him about it during the opening Test in Perth.
"...He felt that if I am not needed right now in the series, I am better off saying goodbye to the game," the skipper revealed, adding that he convinced the bowler to stay for the day-night Test in Adelaide.
The series is still alive with two more Tests to go in Melbourne and Sydney as the score-line is tied 1-1 after both sides logged one win each.
"...trust me guys, everybody's time comes, and today was to leave my time (sic)," he told his teammates in a farewell address in the dressing room, a video of which was released by BCCI on social media.
"The cricketer in me, the Indian cricketer, international cricketer might have come to an end, but the cricket nut in me will never come to an end," he went on.
Ashwin, who would be headed back to India on Thursday, was seen having an emotional conversation with star batter Virat Kohli in the dressing room hours before the announcement, sending social media into a frenzy.
Kohli had his arm around the senior bowler's shoulder and Ashwin was seen wiping his eyes before breaking into a chuckle and accepting an embrace from the star batter even as head coach Gautam Gambhir looked on behind them.
Ashwin's sole competitive outing in the tour was the Adelaide Test in which he picked up one wicket.
He not being a sure starter in the playing eleven over the course of the three Tests prompted him to think about his future in the team and eventually call time on a remarkable career.
The Chennai-based player, who holds an engineering degree, usually does well to hide his emotions but sitting alongside longtime teammate Rohit, Ashwin left the stage for the fear of getting overawed by the occasion.
"I have had a lot of fun. I must I have created a lot of memories alongside Rohit and several of my other teammates," he said.
"I have lost some of them over the last few years (in the team). We are the last bunch of OG's left in the dressing room. I would be marking this as my date of having played at this level," he said, referring to the likes of the currently out of favour Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara.
Ashwin played 116 ODIs for India, claiming 156 wickets, while his 65 T20 International outings yielded 72 scalps. He expressed his gratitude towards the BCCI and other senior teammates for his career which began in 2010 in the one-day format before he made his Test debut a year later.
"A lot of people to thank but I would be failing in my duties if I did not thank BCCI and fellow teammates. I want to name a few of them. Most importantly Rohit, Virat, Ajinkya, Pujara who have taken those hundred catches around the bat to give me those wickets I managed to get over the years.
"Big thank you the Australian cricket team, I have enjoyed playing against them."
Ashwin also thanked the media for its support over the years.
"It is an emotional moment. Please pardon me for that (not taking questions). Thanks for writing good things about me and some nasty things on occasions," said Ashwin on a lighter note as he left the room to a standing ovation.
His retirement brought back memories of the 2014 series when the then captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had quit Tests after conceding an unassailable lead to the home side.
Dhoni's predecessor Anil Kumble had also quit mid-way into a series against Australia, albeit at home after being nagged by a spate of injuries.
'Respect his decision'
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India played Washington Sundar ahead of Ashwin in Perth before the veteran returned for the pink ball Test. Ravindra Jadeja played in the Brisbane Test. Rohit said one should wait to hear from Ashwin about why he chose this time to call it quits.
"It's important when a player like him who has had so many moments with the Indian team and he has been a truly big match winner for us, he is allowed to make those decisions on his own and if it was now, so be it," added Rohit.
The BCCI was also quick to congratulate Ashwin on a special career.
"A name synonymous with mastery, wizardry, brilliance, and innovation," said the BCCI in its tribute post on X.