R Ashwin makes history as first player to retire with rare Pakistan feat, Virat Kohli likely to follow suit

The retirement of Ravichandran Ashwin from international cricket signifies the conclusion of an illustrious era as he stands among the greatest Test cricketers of all time. With an impressive tally of 537 wickets Ashwin solidifies his legacy as the 7th highest wicket-taker in the history of the sport second only to Anil Kumble among Indian players.

Having participated in 106 Test matches for his country Ashwin has earned a place in the exclusive 100 Test matches club. This achievement is particularly noteworthy as only 78 players in the 147-year history of Test cricket have reached this milestone with just 12 of them hailing from India.

Ashwin's retirement also marks a unique distinction as he becomes the first cricketer in history to have played over 100 Tests for his country without facing Pakistan on the field. Among the 78 players who have reached the century mark in Test appearances, five are from Pakistan while 70 have competed in at least one Test match against the Asian nation.

In addition to Ashwin, Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli stand out as the only other players to have played more than 100 Test matches without encountering Pakistan on the cricket field. Kohli in particular made history in March 2022 by becoming the first player to achieve this feat without facing India's arch-rivals.

Given the current circumstances with the possibility of a Test match between India and Pakistan seeming unlikely in the near future it is anticipated that Kohli and Pujara will eventually join Ashwin in this rare distinction upon their retirement from Test cricket. While Kohli continues to be a key figure in the national team, Pujara has not represented the country since June 2023.

For those unfamiliar, India and Pakistan have not competed against each other in a Test match since 2007. Following Pakistan's tour of India in 2007-08, there has been no bilateral cricket series between the two nations except for a brief white-ball series in 2012-13. Over the past 12 years, India and Pakistan have only met in ICC or ACC events.

The only scenario for a Test match between the two countries would be if both teams qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final. While India has secured spots in the 2021 and 2023 championship matches and remains in contention for the 2025 final, Pakistan has not managed to finish in the top two in any of the three editions thus far.

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