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Ashwin seemed to remember his iconic partnership with Kohli against Pakistan at the MCG in 2022.
Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin engrossed in a deep conversation at the Gabba. (Screengrab)
Ravichandran Ashwin said he’d be virtually ‘walking out to bat’ with Virat Kohli at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the fourth Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in his awe-inspiring thank-you note for the latter’s special social media post.
Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket on Wednesday, soon after the final day of the third Test of the series at the Gabba was washed out. Later that day, Kohli wrote a heartfelt message on X, calling the off-spinner a legend of Indian cricket.
“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,” Kohli had said. “I’ve enjoyed every bit of the journey with you ash, your skill and match-winning contributions to Indian cricket are second to none and you will always and always be remembered as a legend of Indian cricket. Wish you nothing but the best in your life with your family and everything else that it unfolds for you. With massive respect and lots of love to you and your close ones. Thanks for everything buddy.❤️🇮🇳 @ashwinravi99″
To this, Ashwin replied on Friday, saying: “Thanks buddy! Like I told you, I will be walking out with you to bat at the MCG🤗”
Ashwin, who played 106 Tests, 116 ODIs and 65 T20Is for India, was seen having a chat with and embracing Kohli at the Gabba balcony before the retirement announcement.
It can’t be ascertained what he exactly meant by the batting together at the MCG remark. But, the duo did share one of the most iconic partnerships in Indian cricket at the ground in 2022 — against Pakistan in that year’s men’s T20 World Cup.
It was just one legal delivery long. India were 158/6 when Ashwin came to join Kohli, who was batting at 82*(53), in the steep chase of 160. India had just lost Dinesh Karthik to Mohammad Nawaz’s spin and the pressure was on the Men in Blue.
On the penultimate ball, perhaps expecting Ashwin to make room and attempt a boundary, Nawaz bowled a flat ball down the leg and Ashwin let it go for a wide, causing huge cheers at the ground. He chipped the next ball over mid-off to seal a stunning win for India, ensuring with his composure that Kohli’s mammoth knock hadn’t gone to waste.