On R Ashwin's Retirement, His Childhood Coach's Big Admission: "Quite A Few..."

Following his shock retirement from international cricket, veteran player Ravichandran Ashwin's childhood coach, Sunil Subramaniam, has expressed his surprise at the decision. Ashwin bid adieu from India colours after the conclusion of the third Test against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane on Wednesday. In the three games so far, Ashwin featured just once during the second Test, which India lost by 10 wickets. During a recent interaction, his childhood coach Subramaniam suggested that while he respects the veteran's decision, Ashwin could've easily played for a couple of years at the highest level.

"I was very surprised. He could have played the World Test Championship 2025-2027 cycle, there were quite a few home Tests, he could have called it quits after that. But he has retired now, we got to respect his decision, maybe he had his reasons," Subramanian told Reddit.

Subramaniam also highlighted the key aspects of Ashwin's game, labelling him as a fearless and intelligent cricketer.

"He was absolutely fearless. He always wanted to try out new things, to keep evolving, setbacks seemed to push him to do better. He has always a thinking person. He was his own man. It was his fearlessness, Ashwin was absolutely fearless. The brain would always react first, he was an intelligent cricketer, a good thinking cricketer," he added.

Before getting his big break in cricket, Ashwin started out as an IT engineer after graduating from university. Ashwin was part of India's 2011 50-over World Cup title win at home and then the 2013 Champions Trophy, but it was three years later that he matured as a top-level bowler.

He took 48 wickets in eight Tests and had 27 victims in 19 Twenty20 matches in the 2015-16 season to be named the ICC cricketer of the year. Ashwin ended with 37 five-wicket Test hauls to his name, with a best of 7-59.

Ashwin (537) earlier this year became only the ninth bowler to reach 500 Test wickets and only the second from India after Anil Kumble (619).

He also played 116 one-day and 65 Twenty20 internationals.

(With AFP Inputs)

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