The Gabba Test ended in a draw as rain interrupted play. However, soon after the match was called off, a retirement news shrouded the outcome of the match. Ravichandran Ashwin, the legendary off-spinner who has been a stellar presence in the Indian dressing room, bid farewell from all forms of international cricket. While news of Ashwin’s retirement may come as a surprise for many fans, it wasn’t the first time an Indian cricketer had hung his boots in the middle of an ongoing series.
Indian legends who retired mid-series
1) Ravi Shastri (1992)
No matter how emphatic Ravi Shastri may be as a batter for the Indian team during his time, the end for the legendary opener was far from what he might have imagined. Shastri was struggling in the first two Test matches against South Africa back when the Indian team visited the Proteas for a 7 match ODI and 4 match Test series in 1992-93. Shastri’s knee injury had worsened following the second test at Johannesburg. He was struggling with a tear in the posterior ligament. His injury woes worsened after the third Test at Gqeberha. With no end to his injury in sight, Shastri had to retire from cricket. He went on for a knee surgery but could never get match-fit during his career.
Also Read: Cricketing world reacts as Ravichandran Ashwin announces his retirement from immediate effect
2) Anil Kumble (2008)
The Indian off-spin wizard retired from international cricket during the 2008 Border-Gavaskar trophy. The then Indian captain sustained a finger injury during the third day of the Test match in Delhi. Following the tea break on the final day of the Test match, Kumble came up with his retirement announcement. The legend bowled four more overs after which the match ended in a draw. Kumble had an illustrious career for the national team with 619 wickets in Tests and 337 wickets in ODIs.
3) MS Dhoni (2014)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the most successful captain India ever had. However, the announcement of his retirement came as a shock for almost everyone. After the third Test match in Melbourne, the legendary Indian captain revealed that he will no longer play Test cricket with immediate effect. Dhoni cited ‘’strain of playing all formats’’ as the reason behind this sudden retirement. The captaincy of the Indian cricket team passed into the hands of Virat Kohli. However, India had already lost the series with the Aussies winning the first two Test matches and third ending in a draw.
4) Ravichandran Ashwin (2024)
Ashwin’s last match in Indian colours was the second Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Adelaide. Speculations around the retirement brewed with the commencement of the final day action in Brisbane. With a video of Kohli and Ashwin’s emotional discussion going viral on the social media, it became evidently clear as to who shall retire after the Gabba Test. Ashwin had a coveted career with 765 wickets in all formats of the game 6 Test centuries which exemplify his worth as an all-rounder.
Also Read: Rohit Sharma sheds light on potential comebacks of Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara after Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement
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