Matthew Hayden hails Ravichandran Ashwin after Indian spinner announces sudden retirement

Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden showered praise on Ravichandran Ashwin after the Indian off-spinner announced sudden retirement from the game. Ashwin called it a day in the post-match press conference on Wednesday, bringing curtains down on a glorious career.

Ashwin finished his Test career with 537 scalps, the second-highest for India after Anil Kumble (619) and seventh-highest overall, in 106 Test matches.

The all-rounder also amassed 3503 runs in the red-ball version, including six Test centuries. Ashwin bagged 156 ODI wickets in 116 matches whereas he snared 72 wickets in 65 T20I matches.

Hayden lauded Ashwin for his cunning bowling over the years.

Matthew Hayden said on Star Sports, “Yeah, I think Sunny (Sunil Gavaskar) described him really well–a very smart cricketer. And you know, he’s a cricketer who just stays on task, always working out a cunning plan. He’s got great belief in his own ability. He’s quite polarizing in many ways when it comes to the cricketing public, and even to his own team – he’s a very strong-minded person. But I personally want to wish Ashwin a wonderful retirement.”

Ashwin ticked the right boxes in his career but took the cricketing world by storm with his sudden retirement call. The off-spinner will definitely go down as one of the best cricketers produced by India and he will continue playing in the Indian Premier League for Chennai Super Kings. 

“This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level,” Ashwin said after the Brisbane Test at a press conference. “I do feel there’s a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer, but I would like to express that and probably showcase that in club-level cricket, but this will be the last day [for India].

The fourth Test match between India and Australia will be played at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground from 26th December.