India vs England 3rd Test: Devdutt Padikkal substitutes Ravichandran Ashwin after Ben Stokes approval

By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Feb 17, 2024, 9:49 AM IST

BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla disclosed that Ashwin's mother faced an emergency. Ashwin's absence posed challenges for Team India, leaving them short of a key player. According to Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) rules, a substitute fielder only in cases of injury or illness

Indian cricket fans woke up to the shocking news that Ravichandran Ashwin, the star spinner who on Friday made history by taking his 500th Test wicket during the Rajkot Test against Sri Lanka, had withdrawn from Team India due to a family emergency. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) swiftly issued a press release confirming Ashwin's exclusion from further participation in the ongoing test match, citing a medical emergency within his family.

Wishing speedy recovery of mother of . He has to rush and leave Rajkot test to Chennai to be with his mother .

— Rajeev Shukla (@ShuklaRajiv)

Initially, the reason behind Ashwin's sudden departure was not disclosed by the BCCI. However, Rajeev Shukla, the board's Vice-President, took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to reveal that Ashwin's mother was facing a medical emergency, urging for her speedy recovery.

Tap to resize

Latest Videos

Tap to resize

Ashwin's exit comes on the heels of his remarkable achievement in becoming only the second Indian cricketer, after the legendary Anil Kumble, to reach the milestone of 500 Test wickets.

India's Option As Per MCC Rules

With Ashwin's absence, Team India finds itself short of a key player, leaving them with only 10 outfield players and four full-time bowlers for the remainder of the test match in Rajkot.

A replacement player can be allowed but only with the consent of the opposition captain. (Note that the law says the replacement cannot bat if the original player had already batted implying this is different from a substitute fielder) pic.twitter.com/5pGFGkjTzV

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha)

According to the regulations set forth by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), umpires have the authority to allow a substitute fielder if they are satisfied that a player has been injured or fallen ill during the contest.

However, since Ashwin is neither ill nor injured, India required the consent of England captain Ben Stokes to introduce a substitute fielder in Rajkot. The substitute player, however, will be restricted from batting or bowling for the duration of the match, as per MCC rules.

When session 1 of Day three of the third Test started, Devdutt Padikkal took to the ground as the substitute fielder for Ashwin.

Ashwin Out of Series Vs England?

Despite the setback, Ashwin's incredible feat of becoming the fastest Indian to claim 500 Test wickets, surpassing the record set by former India captain Kumble, remains a testament to his exceptional talent and contribution to Indian cricket. He now ranks as the second fastest to achieve this milestone, following Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan.

For now, Ashwin's availability for the remaining two Test matches in Ranchi (Feb 25-29) and Dharamsala (March 7-11) hangs in the balance.

For more reliable and latest news