Ravichandran Ashwin will play no further part in the ongoing 3rd Test against England in Rajkot after the India spinner opted to pull out of the India squad due to a family emergency. The development was confirmed by the BCCI, which informed about Ashwin’s decision in a release Friday late night.
“Ravichandran Ashwin has withdrawn from the Test squad, effective immediately due to a family medical emergency. In these challenging times, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the team fully supports Ashwin,” the BCCI said in a media release.
“The BCCI extends its heartfelt support to the champion cricketer and his family. The health and well-being of the players and their loved ones are of utmost importance. The Board requests respect for the privacy of Ashwin and his family as they navigate through this challenging time.”
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Unfortunately, Ashwin’s setback happens to be on the same day he picked his 500th Test wicket. The off-spinner, who became the second-fastest to the landmark ever by dismissing opener Zak Crawley during England’s first innings, was expected to play a big role on Day 3 as India looked to snatch some momentum back from the hosts. But his last-minute absence comes as a bolt from the blue and leaves the bowling attack depleted as India are likely to field with 10 players due to ICC rules.
While the exact details haven’t been spelt out, Ashwin’s withdrawal adds to the increasing woes of the Indian team, who are already without Virat Kohli due to personal reasons and KL Rahul, who is nursing an injury. Although no more information has been shared, going by the tone used by the board in its release, it appears to be a serious matter. The selection of words indicates that the situation is grave in nature.
“The Board and the team will continue to provide any necessary assistance to Ashwin and will keep the lines of communication open to offer support as needed. Team India appreciates the understanding and empathy of the fans and media during this sensitive period,” the BCCI further stated.
Ashwin was active throughout Day 2 of the Rajkot Tests. He was in the news, first for his batting – which saw him score a crucial 37 off 89 deliveries as India’s middle lower order lifted them to 445. During his innings, Ashwin accidentally ran on the centre of the pitch, after which he was pulled up by the umpire. With first Ravindra Jadeja on Day 1 and Ashwin on Day 2 guilty of running on the wicket, umpire Joel Wilson slapped India with five penalty runs. However, Ashwin being not one to shy away from picking brains, did not continue batting without ‘discussing’ the matter with Wilson quite a few times.
Ashwin on his father’s health
Earlier in the day, Ashwin, while speaking after stumps on Day 2, had mentioned how his father had stood by him throughout his journey. Ashwin even revealed that all this while he was playing for India, it left his father nervous.
“It’s been quite a long journey. Firstly, I’d like to dedicate this feat to my father. He’s been with me through thick and thin and probably had a heart attack every time he’s watched me play. His health has probably gone for a toss because of that,” he had said.
Ashwin hit a bottomless pit
In conversation with former India skipper Kumble on Jio Cinema, the official broadcaster of the India vs England series, Ashwin opened up about entering the darkest phase of his career. Recalling some of the testing times of his career, Ashwin revealed to have hit a ‘bottomless pit’. Back in 2018, Ashwin failed to live up to expectations against England due to an abdominal injury as Team India ended up losing the Southampton Test on a spin-friendly deck.
“For me, life has been all about ups and downs and for me the lowest point was the phase between 2018 and 2019. I was the ICC Cricketer of the Year and I was on top of the world and from there to actually go to a really, really bottomless pit, was a very dark time in my life,” Ashwin had told Kumble.
