Ravi Shastri, India’s coach back then, narrated the story from the dressing room, revealing Dhoni called players to have a chat.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement has come as a massive surprise for one and all since no one expected him to hang boots midway through such a high-profile series. However, he is not the first to retire in the middle of the series; former India captain MS Dhoni did the same during the BGT 2014/15.
Ravi Shastri, India’s coach back then, narrated the story from the dressing room, revealing Dhoni called players to have a chat. On Sen Radio, Shastri said Dhoni simply said thank you, adding he’s done with Test cricket.
“Dhoni didn’t wait. I was the coach. He said, Ravi, I need to have a chat with the boys for five minutes. Since we drew the game at the MCG, I said, sure. I thought he would say, ‘Boys, well done’. Instead, he just said, ‘Thank you. I’m done with this. Five-minute speech. No tantrums, no shenanigans. ‘I’m done. Thank you very much for your support. You know, I won’t be there in Sydney, but my total support for you guys’.”
There was still one game to go, and Virat Kohli took over the captaincy duties for the next Test in Sydney. That game ended in a draw, but Dhoni’s retirement left everyone in shock.
No one had a clue: Ravi Shastri
Adding to his point, Ravi Shastri said he looked around in the dressing room, but no one had a clue about Dhoni’s shock retirement. Shastri said Dhoni could have played 100 Test matches and got a farewell game, but he simply wanted to pack his bags and get done with the format.
“I looked around the dressing room. I asked players if he had had a chat with them. No one had a clue. Even the guys who went out or spent time with him three days before that. No one had a clue he was going to come and say what he did. And he had played 94 or 95 Test matches. Normally, you know, in India, a player of his stature, if he plays his 100th Test match and they had given that Test match to say Ranchi, the whole town would have been there at the ground to celebrate that 100th Test… But none of that stuff for him. He just said, ‘I want to pack my bags. I’m done with whites’.”
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Dhoni ended his Test career with 4876 runs at an average of 38.09 in 144 innings, including 33 half-centuries and six centuries. During his tenure, India achieved newer heights in red-ball cricket, and he timed his retirement precisely.
The Border Gavaskar Trophy is known to end several glorious careers, as happened in the past. Ravichandran Ashwin becomes the latest member of that unfortunate list, but he’d be content with what he achieved in his illustrious career.
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