Ashwin’s last Test appearance was in Adelaide during the pink-ball Test, after which he was replaced by Ravindra Jadeja in the third Test.
Former Australian cricketer Brad Haddin believes Ravichandran Ashwin’s surprise retirement from international cricket was driven by frustration over the constant changes in the spin-bowling lineup during the Test series against Australia.
Haddin’s comments followed Ashwin’s announcement of his retirement during a press conference. Ashwin’s last Test appearance was in Adelaide during the pink-ball Test, after which he was replaced by Ravindra Jadeja in the third Test.
Also Read: 3 Structural Changes India Will See in Tests With Ravichandran Ashwin’s Retirement
Haddin Suggests Ashwin’s Retirement Linked to Spin-Bowling Role Changes
Speaking to Fox Cricket, Haddin suggested that more details would emerge when Ashwin has the chance to speak about his retirement.
He implied that, based on his observations, Ashwin might have been frustrated with the frequent changes in the spin-bowling options during the first three Test matches.
“More will come out when Ashwin has his opportunity to speak; just reading between the lines, it looked like he may have been a bit frustrated with the spinning options that they’ve changed in the first three Test matches,” Haddin said.
Brett Lee on Ashwin’s Retirement
Former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee, speaking on Fox Cricket, reflected on Graeme Swann’s mid-series retirement during the 2013-14 Ashes and speculated that Ashwin’s situation might have been similar.
Brett suggested that, like Swann, Ashwin could have been informed that he would not feature in the rest of the series, prompting him to retire on his own terms.
“I think the last time a spinner retired through a series (in Australia) was Graeme Swann. He may have been told that he’s not going to play any further part in this series, and rightly so, (he) just decided to go out on his own terms,” Brett Lee said.
Ashwin was one of the key figures in India’s dominance in red-ball cricket over the past decade. He finished his Test career with 537 wickets from 106 matches, making him the second-highest wicket-taker for India, behind only Anil Kumble’s 619 wickets.
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