"Must admit I'm really surprised" - Australian legend reacts to Ravichandran Ashwin's retirement after BGT 2024-25 3rd Test
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has admitted that Ravichandran Ashwin's decision to retire from international cricket after the third BGT 2024-25 Test at The Gabba took him by surprise. Hailing the 38-year-old, he described the off-spinner as one of the all-time great Indian cricketers and also one of the sharpest cricket brains one would ever come across.
Ashwin stunned the cricketing world by announcing his retirement from international cricket on Wednesday, December 18. He finished his career with 765 wickets across the three formats of the game, the second-most by an Indian after Anil Kumble (953). Of his international scalps, 537 came in 106 Tests at an excellent average of 24, which included 37 five-fers.
Speaking to ICC, Ponting was effusive in his praise of the Indian legend and hailed the Tamil Nadu cricketer over his glorious achievements on the cricket field.
"Well I must admit I'm really surprised to hear that Ravi Ashwin has retired. I mean he's been such a fantastic stalwart of Indian cricket. His record at home is outstanding. His record away from home is equally as good," the former Australian captain said.
"He's going to go down as one of the all-time great spin bowlers, one of the all-time great Indian cricketers. I had the pleasure of playing quite a bit against him and I had the pleasure of coaching him at the Delhi Capitals. He's got one of the sharpest cricket brains that you that you would ever come across," Ponting went on to add.
Apart from his exploits with the ball in hand, Ashwin was also a handy lower-order batter. He notched up six hundreds and 14 fifties in his Test career and also scored a half-century in ODIs. The former cricketer was also part of India's 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy winning squads.
"His longevity in the game is amazing" - Ponting on Ashwin's international career
Ashwin made his international debut in an ODI back in June 2010 and made his T20I debut a week later. His Test debut came in 2011 and he went on to establish himself as one of the greatest red-ball spinners of all time. Praising the former India cricketer, Ponting added:
"Whether the way that he looks at batters, the way that he breaks them down and knows he almost like Shane Warne, stays a step ahead of what the batsman was going to do is why he's been such a great bowler. His longevity in the game is amazing."
While Ashwin has retired from international cricket, he will continue to feature in the IPL. The 38-year-old will represent Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the upcoming edition of the T20 league.