Former Indian off-spinner R Ashwin revealed he contemplated retirement after his 100th Test but made the final decision during the Australia tour when he wasn’t selected for the Perth Test, with Washington Sundar playing instead. Ashwin, who retired at the Gabba after the third Test against Australia, shared these details during a new podcast by Chennai Super Kings with Mike Hussey.
Ashwin played his final Test match at the Gabba after featuring in the second Test at Adelaide. He had been left out of the playing eleven for the third Test where he announced his retirement.
The 38-year-old spinner, who is currently playing for Chennai Super Kings, finished his Test career as India’s second-highest wicket-taker with 537 scalps.
“To be very honest, I wanted to do it after my 100th Test. And then I thought, Ok, let me give it a go in the home season. Because, I mean, you’re playing well, and you’re getting wickets, you’re making runs,” Ashwin said.
“I thought I’d probably close off with the Chennai Test here. I ended up getting a six-wicket haul and a hundred. So it’s very tough to quit when you’re doing very well,” he added.
“So, I went on with the series, and we lost against New Zealand. So, one after the other, it was just building up. And then I thought, okay, let me go to Australia. Let me see how this goes. Because the last time I was in Australia, I had a great, great tour.”
Family time was becoming a significant factor in his decision to retire. The physical and mental demands of the game were taking their toll.
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“I thought it does make sense to play a bit. I was having a lot of fun, but the whole hard yards that I had to put through to put myself in the park again, physically and mentally, one of the most important things that was pulling me down was the family time,” he explained.
His non-selection in Perth ultimately influenced his decision to retire. “And when I didn’t start in Perth, it was like, okay, this whole circle keeps going again. People add very little value to what you’re going through emotionally,” Ashwin said.
“They don’t really consider that because your emotions are yours, and it doesn’t matter to anybody else. So I had been contemplating that, and then I thought, okay, maybe it is time.”
