Due to a medical emergency in his family, Ravichandran Ashwin has withdrawn from India’s current third Test match against England in Rajkot. The information was released on Friday evening by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Notably, hours after taking his 500th Test wicket in Rajkot, Ashwin was out of the India squad to be with his mother. The board was notified in a release that he is leaving the team immediately. The player has the full support of the apex cricket body, but it also asked the public and media to respect Ashwin and his family’s privacy.
“Wishing speedy recovery of mother of @ashwinravi99 . He has to rush and leave Rajkot test to Chennai to be with his mother,” BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla wrote on Twitter.
Sadly, Ashwin’s loss comes on the same day that he claimed his 500th wicket in a Test match. The off-spinner was expected to be heavily involved on Day 3 as India attempted to wrest some momentum back from the hosts.
On Day 2, he became the second-fastest person to reach the milestone ever by dismissing opener Zak Crawley during England’s first innings. However, his sudden withdrawal at the last minute comes as a shock and leaves the bowling attack weak as India will probably field ten players in accordance with ICC regulations.
