Ravichandran Ashwin isn’t amused by calls for Virat Kohli to reverse his Test retirement decision. In the aftermath of India’s second home whitewash in the last 12 months, reports had emerged that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had contacted Kohli to persuade him to rethink his decision.
These reports turned out to be false. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia denied these claims, and after earning the ‘player of the match award’ in Ranchi, Kohli clearly stated that he’ll represent India in just one format, ODIs, until he retires from international cricket.
Ashwin unhappy with Virat Kohli’s Test retirement U-turn talks
Ashwin understands that Kohli’s admirers feel he should return to red-ball cricket after watching him excel in white-ball cricket, but his former India teammate feels that phase of the great’s career has ended. Ashwin, a Test legend himself, understands how tough the decision to retire must have been for Kohli.
“What is there to think? Whatever decision we take, it is well thought out. I am sure that when a player like Kohli decided to retire from Tests, he was very clear. Nobody makes instinctive decisions. We have all crossed that road. As audiences, as fans, we all want to see Virat Kohli,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel “Ash Ki Baat”.
We’d seen Kohli fail to match the expectations set for the last five years of his Test career. Ashwin wants people to realise how difficult Test cricket can be, and one can’t just rock up and play it. The off-spinner also highlighted that Team India and Kohli have moved on, and Shubman Gill has taken his spot, while Kohli himself looks to improve his white-ball game even further.
The way he batted yesterday, fans are going to think. But Test cricket is a different kettle of fish, and he has made a decision regarding that. Let us make one thing very clear. Whatever decision he has made, he has taken it. To keep going back to that is not the right thing to do. A lot of players have come in, and the team has entered a transition as well. It is about moving forward,” he added.
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