Team India suffered a major setback as veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin withdrew from the ongoing third Test against England at Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot.
Ashwin, who completed 500 Test wickets on Day 2 of the ongoing Test, had to leave the squad effective immediately and travelled to Chennai due to family medical emergency. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released a statement regarding the same and ensured assistance to Ashwin's family during 'challenging times'.
The BCCI will continue to keep in touch with Ravichandran Ashwin and provide any assistance if required. However, the board didn't reveal the reason behind the veteran Indian cricketer's abrupt withdrawal from the ongoing third Test as they urged everyone to respect Ashwin and his family's privacy in their testing times.
Before ruling out of the Rajkot Test, Ashwin contributed with bat and ball on Day 2. The 37-year-old made a vital contribution with his willow, scoring 37 off 89 balls in order to push the hosts' total to 445 in the first innings. With the ball, Ashwin picked the wicket of Zak Crawley and registered figures of 1/37 with an economy rate of 5.30 in 7 overs.
What's the reason behind Ashwin's withdrawal from 3rd Test?
Though BCCI didn't disclose Ravichandran Ashwin's 'family medical emergency', there are several reports emerged that off-spinner had to leave the squad as his mother, Chitra Ashwin, has been hospitalized after falling sick.
The BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla in his X post (formerly Twitter) confirmed that Ashwin had to fly to Chennai to attend his mother.
"Wishing speedy recovery of mother of @ashwinravi99. He has to rush and leave Rajkot Test to Chennai to be with his mother. @BCCI."
Ravichandran Ashwin's mother played a vital role in spinner's success in international cricket. Upon the recommendation from his mother, Ashwin switched to spin bowling, revealed by his father to Indian Express following spinner's 500 Test wickets milestone.
Ravichandran Ashwin started off his cricketing journey as a medium pacer and it was his mother, Chitra asked his son to try spin bowling. Ashwin became the fastest Indian bowler to complete 500 Test wickets as he achieved the feat in 98 matches, surpassing Anil Kumble's 102 matches to the milestone.
Alongside 500 Test wickets milestone, the Chennai-born cricketer became the first Indian player and the third overall after late Shane Warne and Stuart Broad to achieve the feat of 3000 runs and 500 wickets in Test cricket history.
Ashwin's withdrawal added to the list of players absent from series or a match
Ravichandran Ashwin became the latest player to withdraw from the Test match in the ongoing Test series. Ashwin pulling out of the ongoing third Test is indeed a big blow for India as the hosts are already without Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami and KL Rahul.
Kohli and Shami were ruled out of the Test series while Rahul is expected to return to action for the fourth Test after withdrawing from Vizag and Rajkot Tests.
Additionally, England are also without key players in the ongoing Test series. Harry Brook withdraw from the series before the first match in Hyderabad as he returned home due to personal reasons. Jack Leach was ruled out of remaining matches of the Test series as he suffered knee injury during the Hyderabad Tests.
