Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement on December 18, shortly after the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy third Test in Brisbane. Ending a remarkable 14-year career, the 38-year-old left the game as India's second-highest run-getter and seventh in Test history.
Days after his retirement from international cricket, Ravichandran Ashwin spoke about an incident in the 2018 England tour when he faced criticism from former head coach Ravi Shastri. In fact, Ashwin appeared on Sky Sports' famous show 'The Masterclass' hosted by former cricketer Ian Ward during the same England tour and irked Shastri.
Ravichandran Ashwin on controversial Masterclass that drew criticism from Ravi Shastri in England tour
Masterclass is a favorite show among cricket fans and legends like Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Curtly Ambrose have already appeared on the show.
Former Test cricketer Ian Ward is known for his ability to simplify complex techniques and managed to get Ashwin to reveal the secrets of his bowling, including his famous carrom ball, on the famous show.
Ravichandran Ashwin's detailed insights gave fans a rare glimpse into his craft, prompting the off-spinner to face the wrath of then head coach Ravi Shastri. During a recent podcast with Sky Sports, Ashwin revealed that the decision to openly discuss his skills led to strong comments from Shastri.
We got real glue from Ravi Shastri: Ravichandran Ashwin
Despite the criticism, Ashwin remained confident in his approach as he emphasized the balance between mastering one's craft and adapting to the challenges posed by opponents. The all-rounder added that Shastri was not really happy to reveal various tricks he has to outwit the batsmen.
Speaking to Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton during the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, Ravichandran Ashwin said: “I got a real pasting from Ravi Shastri for doing that masterclass. I'm sure you've heard about it from him. I think he had his point, but somehow inside I never felt insecure about it. I think there are two things at play, right?
Also Read: Nitish Kumar Reddy to be dropped as India plans huge changes to MCG Test combination
For the former Indian off-spinner, sharing his techniques was never about fear but about self-discovery as every question raised helped him improve and find new answers in his game.
I have never been shy about sharing what I have: Ashwin
The spin great went on to explain: “One is to be able to give what you've got, and the other is to be able to respond to what you throw at the other end, and I've always believed and had the courage to say, here's what I've got to do . Let's see if you understood to come to me and very few times, I found that the batters didn't have the guts to come to me for this and I think that alone plays a very deep mind game. .”
He signed off saying, “It's probably a battle that I have in my head, but other than that, I've never been shy about sharing what I have because for me, every time I've shared, I found a question inside. me, so when I shared and got a question, I had this unique ability to be able to take that question and find answers for it.”