On the day Ravichandran Ashwin became only the second Indian bowler to reach 500 wickets in Tests, he had to withdraw from the ongoing third Test between India and England due to a family medical emergency.

The BCCI announced the unfortunate news on Friday night (February 16) after the second day’s play in Rajkot. In a press release, the board stated that the Tamil Nadu ace has withdrawn from the Test squad, effective immediately to be with his family.

Showing support for Ravichandran Ashwin, the BCCI decided against disclosing the reason and urged the media and the fans to respect the player and his family’s privacy during the sensitive period.

“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.

“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,” stated the BCCI in its media release.

Soon after BCCI confirmed the news of Ravichandran Ashwin’s withdrawal from the Test squad, Rajeev Shukla, the vice-president of the BCCI, revealed that the senior spinner had to rush home in order to be with his mother who is not well.

“Wishing speedy recovery of mother of @ashwinravi99. He has to rush and leave Rajkot test to Chennai to be with his mother,” wrote Shukla.

Ravichandran Ashwin achieves huge milestone:

Earlier on Friday, Ravichandran Ashwin entered the 500-wicket club in Tests. He achieved the huge milestone after dismissing England opener Zak Crawley to give India the much-needed first breakthrough in the first innings of the Test.

He became just the second Indian bowler after the legendary Anil Kumble to pick up 500 wickets in the longest format of the game. Overall, he became the ninth bowler to reach the 500-wicket mark in Test cricket. Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin’s withdrawal is likely to leave Team India with only ten players for the remainder of the ongoing game.

According to rules, teams are allowed to replace a player with a substitute only for concussions or Covid-19. With Ashwin out, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav will take care of the spin department. Talking about the game, England have made a strong start with the bat in reply to India’s first innings total of 445. The visitors were on 207 for 2 at stumps on day 2.

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