NEW DELHI: Star Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket last Wednesday at a hastily-called media conference following the drawn Test between Australia and India at the Gabba in Brisbane for the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Ashwin played 106 Tests for India since his 2011 debut, taking 537 wickets. He took more wickets against Australia than any other country, with 115 at 28.58 in 23 Tests against them.
Talking to former England cricket captains Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain on a Sky Sports podcast, Ashwin revealed an interesting aspect of his fitness as an international cricketer and how an advice helped him in his career.
Ashwin says in the video, “So my first experience and my first mentor when I was playing club cricket, told me that ‘do not go to the gym. If you went to the gym, your shoulders would probably get a little tighter and your arm part would change and your bowling would suffer.’ That’s my first experience or first piece of advice that I received from a senior.”
Ashwin finished seventh on the all-time list for most wickets and second only to Anil Kumble (619) for India.
Ashwin, the only Indian allrounder to score 3000 runs and take 500 wickets, formed a deadly combination with Ravindra Jadeja which was the cornerstone of India’s decade-long Test domination at home. The duo became a nightmare for visiting teams on the turning tracks in India.
Ashwin continues in the video, “And as we’re speaking, my first trainer was also a blessing for me. I had just got into the Test team, I wasn’t so much into strength training, I used to run a lot, I used to do a lot of cardio work. I wasn’t naturally blessed like you say, like you already mentioned, I discovered much later that I was lactose and gluten intolerant, which is why the kind of effort that I put off the field never showed on my body and I used to have like because I’m a vegetarian, I didn’t really consume a lot of meat, I never really started putting muscle because of that.”
Ashwin ceased to be a regular feature in the Indian Test XI overseas but ended with 154 away wickets.
Ashwin was more than a handy batter, scoring 3,503 runs with six centuries and 14 fifties.
Ashwin adds in the video, “The first time I got introduced to a trainer was when he came home and said ‘I wanted to train you’. It took me by surprise. His name was Rajamani and he used to work with RR, now he’s a freelancer, he’s gone on to become a great trainer now. He came home and he said ‘I want to train you, just try training with me’. I put a six week block with him of strength training and I went and played a New Zealand series in 2012, which is when I realized the difference because I was able to get off my back leg so high and come on to the front leg so quickly that my arm was going though much quicker than before.”
Ashwin shares the record for 11 Player-of-the-Series accolades with the legendary Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka and is one of only 11 all-rounders with 3000 Test runs and 300 wickets.
Ashwin also played 116 one-day and 65 Twenty20 internationals and was a part of the sides that won the ODI World Cup in 2011 and the Champions Trophy in 2013.
