A Kutti Story

“I really didn’t want to make it about myself…” – Ravinchandran Ashwin should’ve made it all about himself. India’s second-highest wicket taker in Tests calling time on his career is a mega event. He, alongside Jasprit Bumrah, has been India’s biggest match winner in red-ball cricket in the last decade. He was a massive cog in the Indian machinery that crushed teams over a decade when they landed on Indian shores. 537 Test wickets. More player of the series awards than Sachin Tendulkar. More five-fors than Anil Kumble. Fastest to 300 wickets. Second fastest to 500 wickets. His drawing curtains on his illustrious career deserved a grander occasion – a home ground Test, one last five-wicket haul, a ‘thank you’ lap in front of the knowledgeable Chennai crowd but most importantly, a series win for India!

But then, it would be extremely unlike Ashwin. His walking into the sunset of his international career had to be unassuming. It had to be the lowest of the low-keys. It had to be in a cramped Gabba press room with the sound of the pelting rain drowning the voices. The speech had to be short and dry. A tad emotionless, with wry humour sprinkled on it. He had to walk away without taking any questions. It had to be a non event. It had to be a kutti story!

BCCI produced a BTS video of the Ashwin announcement and it left an uneasy feeling in every Indian cricket fan’s throat. There wasn’t any overt show of emotions, no crying, no fancy speeches. Still, it felt emotional. It felt personal. It felt more personal than it should’ve been. Watching the video was like watching Ashwin bowl – a disjointed run up, no hyper extension of the arm, no fancy wristwork. Yet effective. Extremely effective!

That’s exactly what Ashwin’s magic was all about. Human, doable. His off spin didn’t turn a Murali mile, his carrom ball didn’t look too much hard work, and his occasional leggies were right out of gully cricket. Perhaps that’s why he was the most relatable character of the entire Indian cricket team. He didn’t have Virat Kohli’s talent or Rohit Sharma’s gifts. He wasn’t as inevitable as Jasprit Bumrah and even his partner-in-crime, Ravindra Jadeja, carried a Rockstar aura.

At times, Ashwin seemed more a corporate banker than a cricketer. He looked like one of us. His fade haircut was a disaster, his Wolverine beard…well! No tattoos. He could’ve easily completed an MBA after engineering, settled in the States with a high-paying consulting job, played cricket on weekends and blended in. We connected more because just like us, he wasn’t the most skillful either. We all grew up in an era of ultra skilled spinners. Muttiah Muralitharan could turn it on ice, Saqlain Mushtaq was an inspiration. Shane Warne, the ultimate showman. And our very own Anil Kumble was a once in generation match winner.

Ashwin wasn’t like any of them.

In fact, he wasn’t even a spinner until an Indian ex-cricketer asked him switch streams and focus on off spin. What a stupid idea! Give up batting in India? Seriously? But at times, people pick up a dumb idea and run with it. Ashwin didn’t only run with it, he became one of India’s best, EVER! A menace on dustbowls, a nemesis to left handers, a nightmare for non-strikers. As a smart man, he understood the craft so he constantly pushed the envelope. It led to misunderstandings, but his experiments never stopped.

Until now.

Ashwin didn’t turn up for the New Zealand series and India got pumped. It was unusual but it signalled the beginning of the end. The bigger sign came in Perth – Washington Sundar was preferred as the sole spinner. However, it wasn’t the first time. Ashwin, along with Jadeja, bailed out India numerous times with the bat, but every time India had to ‘strengthen their batting’, he was left out. Then there were the SENA Tests and ‘let’s-play-four-seamers’ syndrome. But Ashwin read the room when Sundar played in Perth. He muttered ‘fuck this shit’ under his breath and left.

What next? Ashwin, the commentator, will be fun. But he won’t abide by any gags. Ashwin, the coach, could be fun as well. Then again, he won’t massage any egos. Maybe just like all of us he will suffer a mid-life crisis, and create more YouTube vlogs. Maybe he will unite with MSD to give CSK another IPL trophy. Whatever it may be, one thing is for sure – every weekend, in some Chennai by lane you will find him playing cricket, creating his own kutti story!