In a sudden development, Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket on Wednesday. India's second-highest wicket-taker with 537 scalps in Test matches, Ashwin bid adieu to cricket on a high note.

Ashwin's announcement came in the aftermath of the rain-interrupted Brisbane Test which was declared a draw. Ashwin attended the post match press conference with captain Rohit Sharma and made the announcement himself.

Notably the 38 year old will not play the remaining two Test matches as his retirement is effective immediately from the third Test. It would be a big task for the management to fill in Ashwin's absence and both Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja now stand a chance to showcase their skills in the long format.

Former Indian opener WV Raman pointed out the intricate details behind Ashwin's big decision as he feels the veteran Indian spinner might have thought that extending his time on the field might be pointless for him.

Raman who also happens to be Ashwin's coach during first class matches told PTI, “He has been around for a long, long time. Perhaps, he must have felt that if he’s not going to really make any difference or make any contribution, there’s no point in hanging around.

“Let’s face it for somebody who has been as combative and as competitive as Ashwin has been, and for a match-winner that he’s been over a long period of time, it’s not a great situation to be thinking in his mind “To be or not to be", what is better."

“He decides one way or the other. That’s exactly what he’s done when it’s obviously perhaps, snapped in his mind that now it’s pointless, and there’s absolutely no motivation left. I think that’s when a cricketer calls it a day. I think that’s what has happened with Ashwin as well."

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