New Delhi, Dec 20 (IANS): Former India batter Abhinav Mukund paid a rich tribute to the recently-retired Ravichandran Ashwin, saying the off-spinner was always a thinking cricketer who brain was on an overdrive and that he could never be kept quiet.

Ashwin quit international cricket with immediate effect after the end of India’s third Test against Australia at the Gabba, which ended in a draw. In a 14-year international career, Ashwin picked 537 wickets at average of 24 in 106 Tests and ended up as India’s second leading wicket-taker after legendary leg-spinner Anil Kumble.

He also picked an incredible 37 five-wicket hauls in Tests, the second-most in the history of the game, along with eight ten-wicket hauls. Ashwin also scored six Test centuries and 14 fifties with the bat in the longer format.

His last international game was the day-night Test against Australia in Adelaide, where he took 1-53 in his 18 overs and made 29 runs with the bat, as India lost by ten wickets. “His brain was in overdrive throughout. You could never keep him quiet.”

“During long bus rides when travelling for the Ranji Trophy, he was always a back bencher. He would put together a bunch of guys and play a ridiculous game called Mafia - a simple game of deduction, where he would be the moderator and watch the action unfold.”

“I also remember during our early years in club cricket, sitting in the dressing room with him and he would bring a pen and a paper and we would do these mock auction picks and drafts for every IPL team, and plot how the sides would balance out. That restless intelligence means he never fails to surprise you every time you speak to him,” wrote Mukund in a column for ESPNCricinfo on Friday.

Ashwin also played 116 ODIs for India, taking 156 wickets, and being a member of 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy winning teams. Ashwin also played 65 T20I matches and took 72 wickets. Mukund, who played seven Tests for India, recalled of an instance during India’s Test against Bangladesh in Chennai in September, which gave him first signal of Ashwin calling time on his international career soon.

“I met him after that Test, in which he made his fastest Test hundred with his family watching from the stands. I ordered a cup of coffee and his wife ordered a coconut water for him. I teased him, saying, "Do you need the electrolytes, old man?" He just smirked before going back to asking his daughters about their day.”

“They said the best part was how their dad looked up to them when he celebrated the hundred. You could tell that meant more to Ashwin than the century itself - that family time meant more to him than achievements on the field, which is why I know he has been thinking about retiring for months now, and it wasn't a hasty decision.”

“No journey to the top is easy but I know his life has been tougher than most, both physically and mentally. The many long days spent in hotel rooms alone with his thoughts will have influenced his decision to call time.”

Ashwin was one of 11 allrounders to clinch the double of 3000 runs and 300 wickets in Tests. He also won a record 11 Player-of-the-Series awards, which is level with Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan. He will be seen in action for five-time champions Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2025.

Talking of the legacy which Ashwin has left as a prolific India cricketer, Mukund stated, “He wasn't genetically gifted like an Usain Bolt or a Michael Phelps. He was just a middle-class boy who had the smarts to become a doctor or an accountant - or the engineer he eventually became.”

“He had no business becoming an elite athlete and one of the best at that. It meant taking the road less travelled, using every inch of an advantage he could get, and trying to innovate and adapt all the time. I said this once on commentary: R Ashwin is like your latest smartphone; his software is always up to date.”

“Ashwin is a flagbearer for millions of middle-class boys and girls in the country who aren't hugely physically or technically gifted, telling them to make the most of what they have by working hard and smart; to follow their dreams and achieve greatness.”