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Ravichandran Ashwin's steady drive to advance and succeed in his art, combined with his emphasis on personal development as opposed to being worried about the rivals made him stick out, says previous India mentor Ravi Shastri.

The 38-year-old shocked the cricketing scene by declaring his retirement in the Test series against Australia after the finish of the third Test in Brisbane on Wednesday.

"What stands apart for me was his needing to advance constantly. He wasn't the sort of fellow fulfilled with regards to where he began," Shastri said on 'The ICC Survey'.

"For me it was his trickiness, needing to succeed in his specialty and (particularly) in the last two-three years the manner in which he got the ball to the way, gave it a tear and inspired it to plunge on the batsman with float made him stick out," Shastri said.

Known for his persistent drive to foster his game, Ashwin reliably chipped away at new conveyances and refined his activity, even in the later phases of his vocation.

"He maintained that new deceives should be learned. He sought after it, rehearsed hard at it and kept on searching for new things as his profession advanced, to stay aware of the times," Shastri said.

"His inheritance will be of being a spectacular match-victor, a remarkable record, 537 sticks. I mean anybody more than 500 (in Test cricket) is exceptional."

Ashwin, who made his presentation in 2011 against the West Indies, immediately established his place in India's Test side. He resigned as India's second-most elevated wicket-taker with 765 scalps, incorporating 537 in Tests.

Ashwin and individual spinner Ravindra Jadeja frequently bowled pair, driving India to various triumphs. Shastri felt the "turn twins" assumed a part in one another's prosperity.

"What's more, for him to do it in his range and the manner in which he has gotten it done, particularly when it came to bowling in the last four or five years, I think in India, alongside Jadeja, I think they were a spectacular pair, the genuine twist twins."

"They supplemented each other well and they prodded each other on, so I would agree that a ton of Jadeja's wickets in the last five-six years have come due to Ashwin as well as the other way around." Shastri featured that Ashwin's almost indistinguishable record against left and right gave hitters - - 269 wickets against right-handers and 268 against left-handers — exhibited exactly the way in which flexible and powerful the spinner was, no matter what the rival or their playing style.

"You see his record against right-handers, against left-handers, it's basically comparative, you know, which says everything. It didn't make any difference to him who he was bowling against. He was available," he added