R Ashwin announced a surprise retirement from international cricket after the drawn third Test against Australia in Brisbane. Ashwin landed in Chennai on Thursday and received a warm welcome from his family and friends.

During a glorious career, Ashwin featured in 106 Tests, picked up a whopping 537 wickets, including 37 five-wicket hauls, and scored 3,503 runs.

However, the 38-year-old’s sudden retirement has now made him the first person to achieve a unique record. Ashwin has made more than 100 Test appearances for India and one of the 78 players in the history of the game to do so. But Ashwin will go down as first-ever player in 147 years since Test cricket began to have played 100 Test matches but still never played a single match against Pakistan.

Ashwin is first on this list to have registered this unique cricketing record, but the way things are going further with the two teams it looks like Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara might also join the list soon.

“I will be walking out with you to bat at the MCG,” R Ashwin told Virat Kohli in a short note on X Friday, a subtle and endearing demonstration of their closeness in the team.

“I’ve played with you for 14 years and when you told me today you’re retiring, it made me a bit emotional and the flashbacks of all those years playing together came to me. I’ve enjoyed every bit of the journey with you ash…,” Kohli wrote hours after Ashwin announced his decision on Wednesday.

Responding to Kohli, Ashwin said, “Thanks buddy! Like I told you, I will be walking out with you to bat at the MCG.” India and Australia are due to go head-to-head in the third Test in Melbourne on December 26.

Though it was not clear what exactly Ashwin meant, netizens assumed that the great off-spinner was referring to their very brief but significant partnership in the famous win over Pakistan at a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground in the 2022 T20 World Cup.

Ashwin joined Kohli at the crease during the final two balls of India’s thrilling 160-run chase against their arch-rivals.

India was left with the daunting task of scoring 48 runs in the last three overs of the match with Kohli going strong. At the end of the game, they were both unbeaten in which Kohli struck a match-winning 82 and Ashwin remained not out on 1.

In Brisbane, Sometime before he accompanied skipper Rohit Sharma to the post-match press conference to announce his retirement at the end of the third Test, Ashwin was seen engaged in an emotional conversation with Kohli during which the batting maestro expressed his surprise even as the ace spinner wiped his eyes.

At the end of the conversation, which took place inside the Indian dressing room, both were seen hugging each other.

It was this dressing room discussion that sparked speculations about a possible retirement announcement by the seasoned spinner.

(With PTI inputs)