Ravichandran Ashwin on Rohit Sharma’s support during family emergency while playing Rajkot Test

Ravichandran Ashwin has opened up on his emotional breakdown during the third Test against England in Rajkot. He got to know about his mother’s illness from his wife and at that moment he went blank. He wasn’t able to control his emotions and tears after completing 500 Test wickets.

India off-spinner Ashwin revealed how his teammates, especially captain Rohit Sharma, and BCCI secretary Jay Shah helped him during that time. He left the Rajkot Test after the end of the second day’s play after his mother collapsed following a severe headache in his hometown Chennai.

While Ashwin reached another milestone in cricket life, his personal life went into turmoil after his mother was admitted to the hospital. He left the team midway and headed back to Chennai to see his ailing mother. Later, he rejoined the team before the hosts registered their biggest win, in terms of margin of runs, against England in Test history.

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Ashwin’s wife Prithi explained how she took the help of Cheteshwar Pujara to work out the situation before passing the message to Aswin.

“After getting my 500th wicket, I was waiting for a call or a message from my parents and my wife. It was 7 pm and I found it strange that they hadn’t called me. I thought ‘Maybe they are giving some interviews and responding to congratulatory messages’,” Ashwin said in his YouTube show on Tuesday.

“But around 7 pm, I called my wife before going to shower. My parents did not pick up the calls. And I found my wife’s voice was breaking. She asked me to move away from my teammates and then she told me that my mother collapsed after a severe headache.

“I kind of blanked out. I did not know how to react. I didn’t know how to ask her a question. I was crying, but I was trying to make sure no one saw me crying. I don’t why I felt like that but it was instinctive. I felt blank. I sat in my room alone. I was crying.

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“After a few minutes, I think I was not reachable on the phone. So my wife told the team physio to check on me.

“After that, I think she must have told Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid. I didn’t know what to tell them. I wasn’t able to strike a balance. I was thinking that they picked me in the XI and if I go home midway, then there will only be 10 members. The series was 1-1, and England was slightly on the upper hand. I was thinking if I go home, India will be one bowler short.

“At the same time, I thought when was the last time I spoke to my mother? I had that thought in my mind and I made up my mind that I should go and meet her. I asked people back home whether she was conscious at that time. They said that the doctors didn’t allow them to meet her.

“I was looking for flights, but there was no flight in the evening from Rajkot to Chennai. I was not sure of what to do.”

“A big thank you to Cheteshwar Pujara. He spoke to a lot of people and arranged for the charter flight. I didn’t know how I spent 2 hours on that flight back home.

No one outside the team knew about what exactly Ashwin went through when India was in the middle of the third Test of the series. However, the player opened up regarding the same and revealed the complete incident with a special mention to captain Rohit Sharma for his support.

While talking to his YouTube channel, Ashwin revealed how the captain helped him overcome the dilemma of whether or not to leave his team in a crucial position.

“I asked how she was and if she was conscious. The doctor told me that she was not in a position to be seen. I started tearing up. I was searching for a flight but I couldn’t get one. The Rajkot airport closes down at 6 as there are no flights from there after 6. I didn’t know what to do. Rohit (Sharma) and Rahul (Dravid) Bhai came to my room and Rohit asked me to stop thinking and leave to be there with my family. And he was trying to arrange a charter flight for me,” Ashwin shared.

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“Kamlesh, the team physio, is a very good friend of mine. Rohit told him to fly with me to Chennai and be with me but I convinced him to stay back. When I went down, the security and Kamlesh were already there, waiting. Kamlesh got a call from Rohit on our ride towards the airport, checking up on me and asking him to be with me during this tough time. It was 9:30 at night. I was just gobsmacked.

I cannot even think about it. The two people there were the only ones that I could talk to. What if nobody was there? I just thought, even if I were a captain, I’d tell my players to go back home. No second thoughts about it. But will I be calling people to check up on him? I don’t know. Unbelievable. I saw an outstanding leader in Rohit Sharma that day,” he added.

“I’ve played under several captains and leaders, Rohit has something in him, for his good heart only. He’s won 5 IPL titles, on par with Dhoni,” Ashwin said.

“God doesn’t give it easy. He should get something bigger than all that, which god will give him. In such a selfish society, a man who thinks about someone else’s well-being is a rarity. My respect for him grew tremendously after that. I already had respect for him as a leader, he backs a player without question until the last moment. It’s not an easy thing. Even Dhoni does that. But he takes 10 steps more,” he added.