Ravichandran Ashwin, a veteran Indian spinner, had to take a leave of absence following the second day of play in the Rajkot Test against England. Ashwin, who had reached 500 wickets the same day, gave a press conference after the final session and then flew home. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stated that Ashwin took a flight back home due to a ‘family emergency,’ which later turned out to be related to his mother’s health. While Ashwin has yet to address the issue, his wife Prithi did so in a column she wrote ahead of the cricketer’s 100th Test.
In her column for the Indian Express, Prithi explained how Ashwin’s mother collapsed unexpectedly, prompting the family to take her to the hospital. Instead of calling Ashwin, she called Cheteshwar Pujara to determine the return route for India’s off-spinner.
“In Rajkot, the kids had just returned from school when he hit 500 five minutes later. Soon, we were all on the phone, answering all of the congratulatory messages.
“It was then that I heard aunty’s sudden scream as she collapsed, and we were quickly on our way to the hospital. At the time, we decided not to tell Ashwin because there wasn’t good flight connectivity between Chennai and Rajkot,” Prithi wrote in the Column.
“So I called Cheteshwar Pujara, and his family was very helpful. And once we found a way out, I called Ashwin because, after the scans, the doctor advised her to keep her son close. He hung up the phone, sounding devastated. It took him another 20-25 minutes to process what I said before calling back. And thanks to Rohit (Sharma), Rahul bhai (Dravid), the rest of the team, and the BCCI, who followed up all the way until he arrived here late at night,” she added.
Ashwin returned home and saw her mother in the Intensive Care Unit. Fortunately, Ashwin’s mother recovered, prompting the experienced spinner to take a return to Rajkot and join his teammates for Day 4 of the Test.
“Seeing his mother in the intensive care unit was an emotional moment for him. And once she was stable, we asked him to rejoin the team. Given his personality, he would never abandon a game like that. And he would feel terrible if he didn’t win the game for his team. Through those few days, I realized his desire to spend time with his parents has grown significantly, and it is a result of age and maturity,” she continued in the column.