Transcription
Hi guys, welcome to Cricket Chat.
Venkatesh, some questions never get answers in Indian cricket. A top cricketer, a legendary cricketer, retires in the middle of a series. This is not the first time for us. Exactly ten years ago, when we went to Australia in 2014-15, in the middle of the series, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was then the team captain, suddenly announced his retirement and left the captaincy. He also retired from Test cricket.
So, he took a sudden decision. We don't know the reason for it. It's been ten years; Dhoni didn't say it, and no one said it. Till now, that question remains unanswered. We are still searching for the answer, and nobody has clarity on why he suddenly announced his retirement mid-series. Typically, players announce their retirement at the end of the series or inform in advance that they will play until a certain Test match.
Taking a sudden decision raises many questions and controversies. Now, Ashwin has suddenly announced his retirement with only two Tests left. Bold questions are being raised. I have seen it on social media. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli—people are asking if they want Ashwin to retire. Did Agarkar, Gautam Gambhir, and all of them conspire together on Ashwin's sudden retirement? Many people are getting emotional, questioning why Ashwin, a match-winner, is suddenly making this decision.
I will try to provide some clarity based on the reports. According to what I have seen on various websites, as far as I know, there is no conspiracy or any other angle behind Ashwin's decision. He seems to have prepared a little in advance. The recent home series in Bangladesh saw him perform well, with a five-wicket haul in his Chennai Test. He also scored a century in his last Test at home against Bangladesh.
In that series, he took nine wickets in three Tests. Washington Sundar was suddenly brought into the picture in the second Test. Washington Sundar outperformed Ashwin, taking 16 wickets in two Tests.
How many runs should New Zealand score? 110 runs? Our fast bowlers bowled, and the spinners—Jadeja and Kuldeep—bowled. In the fourth innings, Ashwin bowled before the new ball. He bowled very few overs. Did he forget to give everyone a chance to bowl? There was a discussion about bringing in a fifth bowler.
Overall, it seemed that Ashwin's talent was diminishing. He is 38 years old, and even before this, his wicket-taking seemed to have decreased a little. Even in the series against England, he didn't seem to have much of an impact. He bowled well in one or two Test matches, but we didn't see the sharpness in his bowling.
He is a proud man and doesn't like to be upstaged by juniors. Also, why is he not given the captain's bowling? His importance will decrease. Why should it be? Maybe we don't know. I read in the Hindustan Times that he told the selectors, the coach, and the captain to take him only if he plays in the Test matches. If not, he would retire.
The selectors wanted him because, in some places, they would play two spinners, and he was required in the last series. They were also convinced that he played a key role in winning in Australia. He seems to have discussed this with his family.
We are getting news that he had already prepared for retirement in Australia. Apart from this, what Rohit Sharma said in the press conference after today's match is important. He mentioned that some decisions are personal, and we should respect them.
Rohit said, "I am not there for the birth test." He was in India, but then we heard the news of Ashwin's retirement. After I came, I asked him to play the pink ball Test. I convinced him to play, but he did not perform well, taking only one wicket. The rest of the bowlers also did not perform well, so they did not play him in the last Test match.
Immediately after the third Test match, Ashwin announced his retirement, as if he announced it to everyone in the team. He is leaving for India tomorrow, meaning the ticket is already booked. So, even if it is a sudden decision, there is no Gautam Gambhir in it.
I think about Rohit Sharma recently against Bangladesh. Ashwin's mother became sick suddenly when a Test match was going on at Rajkot. She had a health issue, and Ashwin was attacked. He arranged for a chartered flight to Chennai. Rohit Sharma admired him a lot as a captain.
So, all of a sudden, there is no possibility of him clashing with Rohit. No doubt, his importance has decreased in the team. Even in the pecking order, there is no possibility of him being in the rest of the Tests. Whenever Jadeja plays well, Ashwin knows that Jadeja will be the number one choice for the remaining two Test matches.
Among the batsmen, after Rahul, we see Jadeja and to some extent Jaiswal. So why leave Jadeja out? When he was the first choice, there is no chance of Ashwin playing the last two Tests. Pony will play as the second spinner. Last time in Sydney, we also went with two spinners—Ashwin and Jadeja—but now the chance is less because Nitish Kumar Reddy is also batting well.
Nitish Kumar Reddy will be your fourth or third seamer in Sydney or Melbourne. There is no question of going with two spinners and two pacers. With Nitish, you charge your third seamer. Nitish will be the fourth seamer. The third seamer will definitely be there, along with one spinner.
It will be seen in Sydney or Melbourne if the wicket is a turning track. Nitish should be dropped unless it feels like he is one of the batting successes of this tour. So why would they drop him? Ashwin has seen the writing on the wall.
There is a possibility that Rohit also said the same in the press meet. He said that now, when there is no situation to play me in the remaining two Test matches, I would rather go back. Pony said to retire. When is the next home Test? It is very far.
He played in the 2021 World Test Championship final, and there was a lot of criticism for his performance in that final. It would have been better if there was another pace bowler. The four-seamer said that he played him unnecessarily. Before that, he played in 2018. Ashwin did not play in the five Test matches we played, so he was not considered in England.
He will not play in England after 2018, so in that case, there is no chance for him to get a chance in England too. Even in the pecking order, Washington Sundar is ahead. Maybe the captain or the coach would have asked him about his place after Washington Sundar because currently, he is in good form and is a better batsman overseas compared to Ashwin.
The team is one, and all these are relative things. The intention of the team may be that. So, what did he think in view of all these factors? He played me, and he addressed me and told me that he is retiring.
I don't take questions because I am emotional. I don't take questions. We have doubts about not taking questions, so all this means that there is no time for a storm in a teacup. Ashwin has taken it as an age factor; his talent is diminishing.
I know the commentator will be a most successful YouTuber. There is also a channel in Hindi, and it has started not only in Tamil. So instead of staying here and collecting gold unnecessarily in the dressing room, happily, he will go home, spending time with his family, doing whatever media assignments, and running a YouTube channel.
There was no point in staying here, but I wonder if there are any other reasons for this. I don't think there are other reasons. Many of them are retired. In Indian cricket, we don't have suicides except murders. But Ashwin has taken the right decision at the right time.
Everyone is saying, "Why has Ashwin retired now?" They should ask, "Why not?" It should be asked that he is retiring, but there should not be a situation of asking why he is retiring.
In such a situation, on a high note, Ashwin is retiring after one bad series, and we should appreciate his decision. We should respect his decision. He is a true legend in Indian cricket—a match-winner, a series winner. Wasim Jaffer said, "Winner is not a simple match; he is a winner of a series." He won us 17 series, so let us respect his decision.
Let's not see controversy in it; let us give him a warm send-off. He is with his family after all the battles. Welcome him back home. He has two cute daughters, so it would have been better if he came with them all, but everything doesn't happen according to the script we thought, like in a movie.
It is difficult for Ashwin to make a sudden decision, but who is behind this decision? Gautam Gambhir, Ajit Agarkar, or Rohit Sharma as a villain? I think it was a decision that we think is not correct, but I believe it was taken in the right spirit.
Many of you may not like my video, but I will try to put the facts before you.