Indian all-rounder R Ashwin has revealed that it was his hospitalised mother who urged him to join the national side after he had left the Rajkot Test midway to go and tend to her. 

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Soon after taking 500 Test wickets during the match, Ashwin was forced to race back to Chennai after learning that his mother had been admitted due to a blackout.

“When I landed and got to the hospital, my mom was slipping in and out of consciousness, and the first thing she asked me was, ‘Why did you come?'” Ashwin told Espncricinfo.

“The next time she was conscious, she said, ”I think you should go back because the Test match is happening,” Ashwin added. 

Ashwin reflected that his entire family had dedicated their lives to his cricketing career, adding that the journey had been a rollercoaster ride for all of them. 

“I am sure most parents and families are like that, but my parents’ lives are even more intertwined with my cricket. I mean, I’m in the second half of my thirties and my dad still watches a game like he would watch my first international game. It means a lot to them. Compared to what it means to them, it definitely means less to me.”

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According to Ashwin’s wife Prithi Narayanan, the family had initially decided to not inform the off-spinner as he was busy with the Test match. Ashwin’s long-term teammate Cheteshwar Pujara, who has family in Rajkot, was called upon by the Ashwin family. 

“So I dialled Cheteshwar Pujara and his family were of great help. And once we found a way out, I called up Ashwin because after the scans, the doctor suggested it was better to have her son around,” Narayanan told The Indian Express. 

Ashwin’s 100 Test milestone 

After Rajkot, Ashwin played the Ranchi Test as well and will now be playing his 100th Test match in Dharmshala, starting Thursday (Mar 7). 

So far, the veteran has accounted for 507 wickets in 99 Tests, including 35 five-fers. He is the ninth-highest wicket-taker overall, second-most by an Indian. The 37-year-old also has 3,309 runs including five hundreds and 14 fifties in the longest format of the game.  

India have already won the five-match series with an unassailable 3-1 lead following their win in the Ranchi Test. They will, however, look to make the scoreline 4-1 and add crucial points to their kitty in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle.

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