Ravichandran Ashwin withdraws from third Test against England due to family emergency

Ravichandran Ashwin (Image Credit: Twitter)

India’s off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has withdrawn for the rest of the ongoing third Test against England. With the bat, he scored an important 37 and put together 77 runs with the debutant, Dhruv Jurel. With the ball, as he took the wicket of Zak Crawley, Ashwin completed his 500 Test wickets and entered the elite list. Meanwhile, after the second day’s play, the two-time World Event winner has withdrawn from the rest of the game.

As stated by the Indian Cricket Board, the 37-year-old has withdrawn due to a family emergency. With this, the team is left with 10 players as they can’t get a replacement in either batting or bowling. If the Tamil Nadu player was ruled out due to concussion, he could have been replaced. Also, with the two-time IPL winner not playing, the team has only four bowlers in the mix. At the time of writing, India has picked two wickets in the first half-hour of play.

“The Board extends its heartfelt support to the champion cricketer and his family,” the Indian board said in a media release. “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.”

Talking about the day Three play, England started with 207/2 in 35 overs on the board. On the ongoing day, Jasprit Bumrah took the wicket of former captain Joe Root while Kuldeep Yadav trapped Jonny Bairstow for lbw.