Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has revealed the support he got from skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid when he had to fly back home due to a medical emergency in the family during the third Test at Rajkot.
Ashwin had to withdraw from the second Test after the second day’s play because of a family medical emergency and missed the entire day three, with the statement of his overnight withdrawal from the match. Ashwin had picked his 500th Test wicket in the form of England opener Zak Crawley on Day Two of the third Test in Rajkot becoming the second fastest to the milestone.
However, Ashwin rejoined the squad on Day 4 of the third Test after being unavailable for the third day. Sharing the experience of the day, Ashwin revealed that it was the Indian skipper who arranged a charter flight for him.
Ashwin Recalls The Eventful Evening
"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.
"After a few minutes, I think I was not reachable on the phone. So my wife told the team physio to check on me.
Wasn't Able To Strike Balance
"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, England were 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."
Rohit's Kind Gesture
“Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid came to my room and arranged a charter flight at 9:30 pm. I have played under many captains but there's something in him that makes him a leader,” Ashwin said on his YT channel.
"Rohit saw me thinking and he said 'what are you thinking about? Just pack your bags and leave now'. He told me that he would try and arrange a charter flight for me," he added.
Ashwin also thanked his teammate Cheteshwar Pujara, who resides in Rajkot and said, "A big thank you to Cheteshwar Pujara. He somehow found some flights in Ahmedabad and made it here to Rajkot for me to travel in."
"I didn't know how those 2 hours on the flight went by. Rohit did something else. Our team physio Kamlesh is my good friend. What Rohit did was beautiful. Rohit asked Kamlesh to join me on my flight to Chennai. I told Rohit that Kamlesh is one of the two physios with the team and how he could send him with me when the team was playing a crucial Test."
"Rohit is like 'That's okay'. But I told Kamlesh to stay back with the team. However, when I went down to the lobby, Kamlesh and a security person were standing there. Rohit was calling Kamlesh and keeping a tab on me throughout the journey back home."
Rohit Has a Good Heart, Says Ashwin
"I was gobsmacked. I couldn't even imagine the gesture from Rohit. If I were captain, I would ask anyone in that position to go home. There's no second thought in that. But, to keep a constant tab on me, calling Kamlesh and asking him to accompany me. Unbelievable!"
“Rohit has got a good heart, someone with five IPL titles, 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,” he added.
With inputs from IANS
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