Nathan Lyon, one of Ravichandran Ashwin’s fiercest rivals and a fellow spin maestro, offered a heartfelt tribute to the Indian legend following his retirement announcement. While Lyon’s words were filled with admiration, there was an underlying truth in his message that could explain why Ashwin chose to retire in the middle of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The decision seemed to have been brewing for some time, reflecting Ashwin’s thoughts on his future with the Indian team.
Nathan Lyon Speculates Why Ashwin Retired
As Lyon went on to lavish praise on Ashwin, he made a telling point about the future of the Indian spinner. Despite Ashwin’s outstanding record, Lyon’s tribute hinted that Ashwin perhaps didn’t see himself in India’s future Test plans, which may have influenced his retirement decision. This reflection likely started before the series even began, and Lyon’s words seemed to confirm that Ashwin had already decided his time had come.
Nathan Lyon Baffled To See India Benching Ashwin
“It’s an interesting question,” Lyon said when asked about India using three different spinners in Perth, Adelaide and now Brisbane. “You’ve got someone sitting [on the bench] with 530-odd Test wickets and I’m walking to the ground, scratching my head saying ‘what are you doing?’ He’s proven that he is one of the world’s best spin bowlers ever to play the game. [It] more than surprises me. That’s the quality of Indian cricketers they have in that squad. You’ve got Ashwin with 530-odd wickets [536] and then Jadeja over 300 wickets [319]. It’s pretty remarkable to see the quality of players sitting on the bench. It’s a good headache to have.”
Nathan Lyon Praises Ashwin’s Stellar Career
“Nothing but respect. Just the way Ash has conducted himself on and off the field for a number of years now, and his skillset is incredible. We’ve got different opinions on different things; there’s no right or wrong. But to have those conversations with a bowler like Ashwin is amazing. From different variations to different tactics, understanding what he’s trying to do. We are both very different. So our conversation this morning was brilliant and I hope we have more through the series and in the future as well,” Lyon said while speaking to Australian broadcasters
“Its Been A Pleasure To Watch You”: Says Lyon
“Ash, as a fellow off-spinner I not only thank you but also you’ve been an incredible player for India and world cricket. It’s been a pleasure to watch you, play against you, compete against you. I want to wish you all the best. Congrats on an amazing career. Congratulations and all the best,” he said just after announced Ashwin announced his retirement
Ashwin’s record in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) countries—72 wickets from 26 Tests—pales in comparison to his remarkable home record, where he has taken 383 wickets in 65 matches.
Also Read: Ravichandran Ashwin’s Heartfelt Speech That Moved Everyone In The Indian Dressing Room – Watch Video
Ashwin’s Sudden Decision To Retire
It is surprising that Ashwin chose to retire when the last Test match at Sydney was still to be played, a venue that always promises conditions that are spinner-friendly. In theory, they could have played two spinners for the final game, and Ashwin would have been the automatic choice. But the experienced spinner had other ideas, thereby hinting that his decision to retire was well thought of much before the series got over.
Ashwin Retired In Same Way Like Dhoni
The pink-ball, day-night Test at Adelaide last week will be etched in history as Ashwin’s last outing for India. It was, in many ways, a repeat of the manner in which MS Dhoni had shocked everyone into retirement during the 2014-15 tour of Australia, when the legend wicketkeeper had put an end to his career on similar lines.
