'Ashwin wouldn't have retired if he knew India at MCG…': Ravi Shastri's mic drop remark on Washington Sundar's return

Former India all-rounder and head coach Ravi Shastri said Ravichandran Ashwin would not have retired in the middle of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy had he known that India would be playing with two spin-bowling all-rounders in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG in Melbourne. Ashwin, who played only one Test in the series, surprised everyone by announcing his retirement after the third Test at the Gabba in Brisbane. He said he still has fire left in him as a cricketer, which he would put to use in club cricket and the IPL. Minutes later, in the same press conference, India captain Rohit Sharma said Ashwin had informed him about a possible retirement in Perth but he convinced him to stay back by picking him for the day-night Test in Adelaide. India's Ravichandran Ashwin(PTI)

If one reads between the lines, it does not take much time to understand that Ashwin wanted Rohit to confirm his place in the side for the Melbourne and Sydney Tests, which the Indian captain was obviously unable to give without considering the conditions.

"I somehow convinced him to stay for the pink-ball Test. And then he felt that 'If I'm not needed right now in the series, I'm better off saying goodbye to the game. Obviously, we haven't been to Melbourne, so we don't know what conditions we will get there," Rohit had said.

As things panned out. India did go in with two spin-bowling options in the Boxing Day Test. Washington Sundar was picked over specialist batter Shubman Gill, a move that surprised many experts. Sundar was India's first-choice spinner in the first Test in Perth before being replaced by Ashwin in the day-night Test. In the third Test, India picked Ravindra Jadeja. The fourth Test at the MCG was the first instance of going in with more than one spin-bowling option in this Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

‘Ashwin wouldn’t have retired had he known…'

Shastri said he would have kept Gill in the XI and played either Sundar or Reddy.

“It's a brave decision. I would have Gill. It would have been a tough choice between Reddy and Washington, but they have kept faith in them,” said Shastri in commentary. When asked about Ashwin, the former head coach said the all-rounder would not have retired had he known India's stance.

"If Ashwin knew India would play two spinners, he might not have retired," Shastri added.

The fourth Test in Melbourne is extremely important in the context of the series. Both teams have won a match each, and a victory here would give either team an unassailable lead in the five-match series.

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