India’s Ashwin retires from international cricket after Brisbane Test draw | Cricket News
The veteran spinner ends his 106-Test career after rain forced an early end to the third Test, leaving the five-match series tied 1-1.
India’s spin spearhead Ravichandran Ashwin has announced his retirement from international cricket in all formats after his team’s third Test against Australia in Brisbane ended in a draw.
“This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level,” the 38-year-old told reporters at the Gabba Stadium on Wednesday.
“I feel like I still have a bit of batting power left in me as a cricketer, but I would like to show that in cricket at club level.”
Ashwin played only one of the three matches in the five Test series as he took one wicket in the Adelaide Test.
The 38-year-old took 537 wickets in his 106 Tests at an average of 24.00, which puts him seventh on the all-time list and second only to Anil Kumble (619) for his country.
He also played 116 one-day and 65 Twenty20 internationals.
Ashwin made his Test debut in 2011 against the West Indies and was also good with the bat, scoring 3,503 runs with six centuries and 14 fifties.
The third game ended in a draw after rain on the final day of play ended Australia’s bid for victory, raising the stakes for Melbourne, where the series postpones for the traditional Boxing Day clash.
India were eight and undefeated when tea was called early due to lack of lighting. The tourists needed 267 runs to win.
Because a heavy downpour prevented the game from resuming after the break, the game was abandoned and the series remains tied at 1-1.
“Of course we accept that,” India captain Rohit Sharma said at the post-match presentation.
“We go to Melbourne with the confidence that we can try and get things our way.”
Pat Cummins had declared Australia’s second innings over at 89 for seven, giving India an unlikely 275-run victory target as dark clouds gathered near the ground.
Cummins and fellow pacer Mitchell Starc bowled just 2.1 overs in India’s openers before play was suspended.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was not out in four, KL Rahul was also out in four.
“Unfortunately a lot of rain that you can’t do anything about… I’m really proud of how the boys played,” Cummins said.
“We were right ahead of the game… We checked off almost everything we could.”
Australia beat India by 260 after scoring 445 in the first innings, with rain affecting play throughout.
After taking India’s final wicket in the first hour of the fifth day, Australia led by 185 runs, but rain denied them the chance to bat until after lunch.
In search of quick runs, Australia crashed to 33 for five as Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah dismissed the top four in single figures, a day after the pacemen united in a gutsy partnership on the 10th wicket to ensure India was able to avoid the second blow.
Travis Head and Alex Carey (19 not out) briefly stopped the bleeding with a 27-run partnership before Head struck Mohammed Siraj and was out on 17.
Cummins hit 22 from 10 balls before becoming Bumrah’s third wicket and declared five balls later.
Australia’s hopes of forcing a result always depended on the weather, but their chances of victory were already razor thin as their attack was one man out.
Pace star Josh Hazlewood was out of action after suffering a calf injury and there were also concerns over the fitness of all-rounder Mitchell Marsh after he bowled just two overs in the match.
Head was named player of the match after scoring 152 in Australia’s first innings, having also scored a big hundred in the hosts’ second Test win in Adelaide.
