"Ultimate competitor": James Foster on Ravichandran Ashwin's retirement from Tests

Kandy [Sri Lanka], December 18 (ANI): Former England wicketkeeper-batter James Foster applauded India's off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin following his retirement from the longest format of the game after the completion of the Brisbane Test on Wednesday.
India's celebrated off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin revealed his decision to retire from international cricket moments after the Brisbane Test ended in a draw.
"He's a world-class player. It's been a real joy actually. I don't know him personally, but a real joy sort of following his career and he's an ultimate competitor. I think that's an absolute given. But I think the thing that impresses me the most it's not just his skill level, but it's the way that his game has evolved as well over this long period of time. To play the amount of cricket that he's done and play at the top level like he's done for such a long period of time, you can't just do that through luck. It's a lot of hard work, a lot of smartness, and just the way he's evolved his game. It's been great to see where he has," James Foster said while speaking to ANI.
Earlier in the day, Ashwin appeared alongside India's captain Rohit Sharma at the post-match press conference to announce his decision. Speculation about his retirement began to build when he became emotional and was hugged by Virat Kohli.
Ashwin played 106 Tests, taking a staggering 537 wickets, including 37 five-wicket hauls, and scored 3,503 runs. His contributions to Indian cricket extend far beyond these impressive statistics.
He is the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket history and the second-highest for India, behind Anil Kumble (619). He also has the second-most five-wicket hauls in Tests, after Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan (67).
Ashwin was instrumental in India's dominance in Test cricket, especially during their rise to the top between 2014 and 2019.
In limited-overs cricket, Ashwin played 181 matches, taking 228 wickets. He featured in 116 ODIs, claiming 156 wickets with best figures of 4/25 and scoring 707 runs. In 65 T20Is, he took 72 wickets, with best figures of 4/8, and scored 184 runs.
With 765 international wickets across formats, Ashwin is India's second-highest wicket-taker, behind Kumble (953). He was also part of India's 2011 World Cup-winning squad and the 2013 Champions Trophy team.
Ashwin's retirement marks the end of a remarkable era, leaving behind a legacy that will inspire future generations. (ANI)