Offspinner R Ashwin will rejoin the Indian team in Rajkot on the fourth day of the ongoing third Test against England, the BCCI has confirmed. He had left the city after play on the second day because of personal reasons and missed the third day's play entirely.
“The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is pleased to announce the return of R Ashwin to the squad after a brief absence due to a family emergency. Ashwin, had to temporarily withdraw from the squad after Day 2 of the 3rd Test in Rajkot to attend to a family emergency,” the statement from BCCI read.
Ashwin's absence was felt on Saturday as Indian bowlers were given longer spells, but the side produced a brilliant performance to bowl the English team out on 319. Mohammed Siraj was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets, while leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav also dismissed three batters.
The veteran Indian off-spinner had become the only second bowler from the country to reach a historic 500-wicket mark on Day 2 when he dismissed England's Zak Crawley. Hours later, the BCCI confirmed that Ashwin had to leave the Test urgently due to a medical emergency.
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