Ravichandran Ashwin has retired from international cricket with immediate effect, a decision he announced after India's draw in the third Test against Australia in Brisbane on Wednesday (December 18)."I don't want to make it about myself. This is my last day as an international cricketer. I have created a lot of memories. We are the last bunch of OGs in the dressing room. I have a lot of people to thank… BCCI, my fellow teammates, all the coaches. This will be my last day as an India international cricketer. I will play club cricket. I had a lot of fun," Ashwin said during India's post-match press conference.
Speculations about Ashwin's future gained steam when, during the rain interval on Day 5, the cameras captured Virat Kohli hugging an emotional Ashwin. Ashwin also featured in 116 ODIs and 65 T20Is for India, taking 156 and 72 wickets respectively. But it was in the red-ball format that he emerged as one of India's greatest match winners. His count of 37 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket is joint-second best alongside Shane Warne, and only behind M Muralitharan's tally of 67. At the time of his retirement, Ashwin holds the record for dismissing most left-handers in Test cricket - 268. A handy batter lower down the order, Ashwin also has 3503 runs in Test cricket, including six centuries and 14 fifties. He holds the Indian record for most instances (4) of a century and a fifer in the same Test, only behind Ian Botham (5).
