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Veteran spinner’s announcement that he won't represent India anymore takes many by surprise

- GOMESH S

AND just like that it happened. On a wet, rainy, frustrating day of Test cricket in Brisbane, came the official statement. R Ashwin will no longer represent India again. A 106-Test veteran, a magician with 537 wickets had decided to call it a day off the field while not being a part of the playing XI. "This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level," Ashwin told the media on Thursday while seated next to captain Rohit Sharma. "I do feel there is a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer but I would like to expose and probably showcase that in club-level cricket but this will be the last day," he added.

To be fair, no one saw this coming. Not at this point, midway through the series while there was still a trophy left to be won. So much so that the first question was 'why now' and not 'when'. In that regard, Ashwin had gone out on his terms something Sharma acknowledged and respected and so did the team.