Clarke 'surprised' by Ashwin's retirement decision before next 2 Tests, says he 'could have waited'

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy has two tests remaining, with one of them taking place in Sydney, a pitch known for favoring spinners. Clarke expressed his respect for Ashwin's impressive career but was taken aback by the India legend's decision to retire.

“Ravichandran Ashwin has been a fantastic player across all formats, so tough to face, especially in Indian conditions; very skilful, very accurate, very good lines. He deserves to be respected and deserves his congratulations on a wonderful career,” Clarke told ESPN Australia during their ‘Around The Wicket’ show.

“I'm surprised he’s done it now, even if he wasn’t gonna play the next two Tests, I thought maybe he could’ve waited, go back home, in front of Indian media… who knows?”

Clarke draws example from his own career

The former Aussie batter, however, did give Ashwin the benefit of doubt and recalled his own playing days, when former Australian bowler Ryan Harris had also similarly announced retirement in the middle of an Ashes series.

“He has his reasons, I guess I’ve experienced that before in the Ashes. Ryan Harris, because of an injury, retired before the series was over. I’ve been through that. But yeah, I guess he has had the conversations with captain and coach, they probably told him he’s not going to play the next two ests, so he decided to make that decision,” said Clarke.

Ashwin retires with 537 wickets to his name, making him the second-highest wicket-taker for India in the longest format after the legendary former captain, Anil Kumble. The off-spinner is also among the select few cricketers to have played over 100 Tests for India, finishing his career with 106 matches.

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