'Had fun but it's time': Ashwin bows out of internationals with shock retirement call

RASHWIN STOOD IN the corridor outside the press conference room after the third Test ended in a draw. Captain Rohit Sharma, walking just ahead of him, gestured to the waiting journalists. "Sab pata chalega abhi (everything will be known now)," he said with a laugh, perhaps in reference to the buzz in the press box and on social media about the possible retirement of a "big player".

- SRIRAM VEERA

Behind Rohit, Ashwin seemed to be calming himself before his big announcement. He took a deep breath, composed himself and entered the room. The penny dropped when he said: "This is my last day... I had a lot of fun. I must say I've created a lot of memories alongside Rohit and several of my other teammates, even though I've lost some of them over the last few years. We are the last bunch of the OGs (originals)."

He said he would not be taking questions as he was feeling too emotional.

Rohit said he first got to know Ashwin's mind when he landed in Perth on the third day of the first Test, which the latter wasn't selected for.

On the first day of that game, just before lunch when the Indian top order was wobbling, Ashwin had already hit the indoor nets, bowling away.

Over the next couple of days, it became a regular occurrence. A couple of times, there wasn't even any support staff with him, as he kept whirring away.

All along then, as Rohit revealed on Wednesday, Ashwin had been contemplating retirement. Still, there was a burning desire to work on his craft.