Hours after Ravichandran Ashwin celebrated his 500th Test wicket on Day 2, becoming the second Indian and ninth overall player in the history of the sport to achieve the feat, news emerged of him withdrawing from the third Test in Rajkot owing to a family emergency. This came as a huge blow for the Indian team with Ashwin the leading spinner in the side and a man in form. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced this development with an official statement where they extended support to the cricketer. "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," a part of BCCI's statement read. Team India Cricketers Wear Black Armbands on Day 2 of IND vs ENG 3rd Test 2024 in Honour of Late Dattajirao Gaekwad.

Ashwin attained his historic 500th Test wicket when he dismissed Zak Crawley, who top-edged the ball in an attempt to play a sweep shot. India made a dramatic recovery from 33/3 earlier on to finish with a total of 445 runs on the second day of this Test, in the first innings. But England's Ben Duckett led his side's counterattack with a splendid century, his third in Test cricket. Fans were surprised to see that the BCCI did not name an official replacement for Ravi Ashwin, who will not be featuring in this Test match any further. ‘Jaddu Samjh Ye T20 Hai….’ Rohit Sharma Comes Up Hilarious Solution As Ravindra Jadeja Struggles With No-Balls During IND vs ENG 3rd Test 2024 (Watch Video).

Why Was No Replacement Named for Ravichandran Ashwin?

The BCCI did not name an official replacement for Ashwin as per the guidelines of the sport. According to the rules of the game, a substitute player can only be introduced in the game in case of concussions and COVID-19. Hence, even with the likes of Washington Sundar in the squad, a player who could have been a replacement for Ashwin, India will not be able to introduce him to replace the ace all-rounder and will have to compete with 10 players for the remainder of this game. After nominating the players at the toss, no player can be replaced without obtaining consent from the opposing captain.

Harsha Bhogle Confirms No Replacement of R Ashwin for Team India

India can have a substitute fielder though and it was made clear when Devdutt Padikkal came out to field on Day 3 of the Rajkot Test. Padikkal had earlier been included in the Indian team as a replacement for KL Rahul, who was ruled out of the third Test.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 17, 2024 10:16 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).