- Ravichandran Ashwin claimed his 500th Test wicket by removing Zak Crawley
- It later emerged that he had rushed to Chennai to be with his ailing mother
- Ashwin is the second high-profile player from India to miss out due to family reasons
Ravichandran Ashwin dramatically withdrew from the remainder of England’s match against India in Rajkot on Friday evening, hours after becoming only the ninth player in history to take 500 Test wickets.
The 37-year-old Ashwin dismissed Zak Crawley to reach the milestone as Ben Stokes’ team stormed to 207 at stumps on the second day on the back of Ben Duckett’s blistering unbeaten hundred.
However, it later emerged that he had rushed to Chennai to be with his ailing mother, making him the second high-profile Indian player to go missing for family reasons following Virat Kohli’s withdrawal for the entire series.
This leaves India faced with the prospect of completing the crucial five-10-man match. Although cricket laws allow changes to be made with the consent of the opposing team’s captain, replacement players in international matches are only allowed in the event of concussion. Previously, there was a Covid clause within the rules of the game, but this is no longer in use.
Ravichandran Ashwin withdrew from the remainder of England’s match against India
The 37-year-old sent Zak Crawley off to reach a milestone before heading to his ailing mother
“The BCCI extends its sincere support to the champion cricketer and his family,” Indian Board of Directors’ Honorary Secretary Jay Shah said in a statement last night.
“The health and well-being of the players and their loved ones are of the utmost importance. The board requests respect for the privacy of Ashwin and his family as they navigate this challenging time.”
Changes to the XI are permitted after the toss but before play starts in Test matches. The regulations led to the toss ahead of the fourth Ashes Test at Headingley in 2009 being postponed by 10 minutes, allowing England wicketkeeper Matt Prior to undergo intensive physio treatment after suffering a back spasm.
Earlier in the series, England captain Andrew Strauss gave his blessing to Graham Manou to replace broken finger victim Brad Haddin in Australia’s XI after the toss at Edgbaston.