Gambhir Reacts to R Ashwin’s Retirement Announcement, Honors Him with Bold Prediction: ‘Bowling Legends will…’

Speaking to X, India head coach Gautam Gambhir expressed his admiration for Ashwin's retirement announcement and praised his significant contribution to the game. "Watching you evolve from a promising young bowler to a legendary figure in modern cricket has been a privilege that I cherish immensely. I am certain that future generations of bowlers will look up to you as their inspiration. Your absence will be felt deeply. You will be missed, brother! @ashwinravi99," Gambhir shared.

The third Test ended as a draw due to rain on the final. After the match, the veteran spinner joined captain Rohit in the press conference. Ashwin said, “I won’t take too much of your time. Today will be the last day for me as an India cricketer.”

Ashwin ends his career with 537 Test wickets, which makes him the seventh-highest wicket-taker in the format. Among Indian bowlers, he is second after Anil Kumble’s 619 wickets in Tests. Meanwhile, Ashwin has taken 765 wickets across formats, which is only bettered by Kumble’s 953.

During his glittering career, Ashwin has also taken 37 five-wicket hauls in 106 Test matches, and it is the joint-second most in the format, alongwith Shane Warne, who did it in 145 fixtures. Ashwin is behind Muttiah Muralitharan in the list, who has taken 67 five-wicket hauls. Also Ashwin’s strike rate of 50/7 balls per wicket slots him in the top-ten among the 84 bowlers who have taken at least 200 Test wickets. He is the only spinner in the top-25, with Stuart MacGill the closest, at 29th.