New Delhi: India head coach Gautam Gambhir along with former cricketers Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan congratulated Ravichandran Ashwin, who brought the curtains down on his illustrious international career.
Ashwin's era of dominance spreads across two decades, during which he redefined the art of spin bowling with his hunger to learn and constantly improve as a player.
On Day 5 of the Brisbane Test, Gambhir was present when Ashwin and Virat Kohli shared a heartfelt moment. The emotions that appeared on Ashwin's face suggested the big announcement would be made at the end of the day.
"The privilege of seeing you grow from a young bowler to a legend of modern cricket is something that I wouldn't trade for the world! I know that generations of bowlers to come will say that I became a bowler coz of Ashwin! U will be missed brother," Gambhir wrote on X.
From one spinner to another, Harbhajan labelled Ashwin as the flag bearer of Indian spin for more than a decade.
"Congratulations @ashwinravi99 on a phenomenal cricket career. Your ambition as a test cricketer was admirable. Well done for being the flag bearer of Indian spin for more than a decade. Be very proud of your achievements and hopefully see you more often now," Harbhajan wrote on X.
Former all-rounder Irfan congratulated an "absolute match-winner" Ashwin for his monumental Test career.
"An absolute match-winner, @ashwinravi99! Retiring as India's second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket is nothing short of monumental. Combine that with his invaluable batting contributions, and you get one of the game's solid all-rounders. Well done, Ash!" Pathan wrote on X.
With red-ball cricket being his forte, Ashwin featured in 106 Tests, picked up a whopping 537 wickets, including 37 five-wicket hauls, and amassed 3,503 runs. One can even argue that his contributions to Indian cricket are far greater than just what those staggering numbers indicate. (ANI)