NEW DELHI: Wishes poured in as Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket after the third Test between India and Australia in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy ended in a draw at The Gabba on Wednesday.
Wishes not only flooded the social media, but cricketers, former and present wished Ashwin personally too.
Among them were the legendary Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev, who called up Ashwin after he returned to his Chennai on Thursday.
Ashwin shared a screenshot of his call log with the caption: “If some one told me 25 years ago that I would have a smart phone with me and the call log on the last day of my career as an Indian cricketer would look like this, I would have had a heart attack then only. Thanks @sachin_rt and @therealkapildev paaji #blessed”
Tendulkar and Ashwin were teammates in Test cricket for around two years and both were part of the victorious 2011 ODI World Cup squad.
Ashwin finished as the second-highest Test wicket-taker for India behind Anil Kumble, the 537 scalps a testimony to his stature, commitment and rare ability.
Ashwin, the only Indian allrounder to score 3000 runs and take 500 wickets, formed a deadly combination with Ravindra Jadeja which was the cornerstone of India’s decade-long Test domination at home. The duo became a nightmare for visiting teams on the turning tracks in India.
Overseas, Ashwin ceased to be a regular feature in the XI but ended with 154 away wickets. He was more than a handy batter and scored six Test tons.
