‘I thought of small and big moments…’ Ravichandran Ashwin’s wife Prithi Narayanan pens emotional post after his retirement

New Delhi: Ravichandran Ashwin, the eminent Indian spin bowler, announced his stepping back from international cricket after the culmination of the third Test against Australia at Gabba, Brisbane. He made this poignant announcement during a press conference shortly after the tightly-contested match resulted in a draw. Recognition and appreciation have poured in for the accomplished off-spinner, whose career ends leaving behind a staggering tally of 765 wickets in all formats representing India.

Prithi Narayanan, who’s married to the famed cricketer Ashwin, has beautifully penned down her emotions and thoughts for him. She warmly reminisces his glorious cricket journey over the years and openly expresses her sentiments on his recent decision to bid farewell to the sport at the mature age of 38.

“It has been a blurry two days for me. I have been thinking about what I can say. Do I put this down as a tribute to my all time favorite cricketer ? Maybe I’ll just take the partner angle? Or maybe a love letter from a fan girl? I guess this is a little bit of all of it,” she wrote on Instagram.

“When I saw Ashwin’s PC, I thought of small and big moments. Many, many memories over the last 13-14 years. The big wins , the MOS awards, the quiet silence in our room after an intense game, the sound of the shower running for much longer than usual on some evenings post-play, the scratch of pencil over paper as he scribbled thoughts down, the constant streaming of footage videos when he is making a game plan, the calm of meditative breathing before leaving for each game, certain songs playing on repeat while he unwinds, she added.

Following a remarkable journey, Ashwin wrapped up his international cricket career, sitting just behind Anil Kumble as India’s second most prolific wicket-taker of all time.

The ace spin bowler was part of the victorious Indian squads clinching the World Cup in 2011 and the Champions Trophy two years later, in 2013.

“The times we wept in joy – after the CT final, after the MCG win, after the Sydney draw, The Gabba win, after making a comeback in T20s…the times we sat in silence and the times when we had our hearts broken,” wrote Prithi Narayanan.

Ashwin’s partner couldn’t contain her delight, stating how gleeful she was to watch him become a vital player in securing victory for India. In the realm of men’s Test cricket, Ashwin stands unrivaled with a record 11 Player of the Series awards – a testament to his prowess on the field.

“Dear Ashwin, from not knowing how to put a kit bag together to following you to stadiums all over the world, rooting for you, watching you and learning from you, it has been an absolute pleasure. The world you introduced me to gave me the privilege to watch and enjoy a sport that I love from close quarters. It also showed me how much passion, hardwork and discipline is needed to keep your head above water. And sometimes even that is not enough,” she said.

“I remember us talking about why you, R Ashwin, had to do all of this and a lot more to even stay relevant in the scheme of things. How awards, the best of stats, the POMs, the accolades, the records didn’t matter if you didn’t sharpen your skill sets constantly and did not put in the work. Sometimes, nothing is enough. As you end your wonderful international run, I only want to tell you that it’s all good. It is all going to be good,” she added.

Ashwin might have retired from international cricket but will continue playing club cricket.