IND vs ENG 5th Test: Day 1 of Manchester Test postponed due to Covid-19 outbreak in Indian camp; Follow Live Updates – The final Test between India and England at Manchester has been cancelled due to Covid-19 outbreak in Indian camp.”Following ongoing conversations with the BCCI, the ECB can confirm that the fifth LV= Insurance Test between England and India Men due to start today at Emirates Old Trafford, will be cancelled,” ECB said in a statement. “Due to fears of a further increase in the number of COVID cases inside the camp, India are regrettably unable to field a team.
“We send our sincere apologies to fans and partners for this news, which we know will cause immense disappointment and inconvenience to many,” the statement added.
Also Read: IND VS ENG 5th Test cancelled: Team India win series 2-1 – Follow Live Updates
Ahead of the fifth and final Test against England, physio Yogesh Parmar tested positive for COVID-19 in Manchester. This had led to Team India’s training session for Thursday afternoon being cancelled.
However, there were no COVID-19 related worries in the England camp and Jos Buttler had said everything is fine and the hosts were looking forward to the game.
“We don’t know too much about it at the moment. It would be naive to speculate on what’s going on. At the moment we’re fully expecting the game to go ahead and we’re preparing that way so fingers crossed the game will go ahead. Things are fine in our camp and we are looking forward to the game,” said Buttler in a virtual press conference on Thursday.
This came after India head coach Ravi Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar returned positive results to their RT-PCR tests during the fourth Test. They are currently undergoing isolation and can come out only after returning two negative results.
On Sunday, just half an hour before the start of play on Day 4 of the fourth Test, the BCCI said its medical team had isolated Shastri, Bharat Arun, Sridhar, and physio Nitin Patel as a precautionary measure after Shastri’s lateral flow test returned positive on Saturday evening.
The remaining members of the Team India contingent had undergone two Lateral Flow Tests — one on Saturday night and another on Sunday morning. The members upon returning negative COVID reports were allowed to proceed for Day 4 of the fourth Test at The Oval against England.
@22:25: As per ESPNCrcinfo, “India’s playing squad have all received negative PCR results after assistant physio Yogesh Parmar tested positive for Covid-19.”
BREAKING: India’s playing squad have all received negative PCR results after assistant physio Yogesh Parmar tested positive for Covid-19 pic.twitter.com/CC9UaWj9CZ
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 9, 2021
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“A clear picture will be got around a little past midnight India time. The tests have been done by ECB’s testing agency and the reports will come in around 8pm UK time. With physio Nitin Patel in isolation, it was Parmar who was working with the team over the last few days and since he has tested positive, it will be the test reports which will decide the way forward,” the source told ANI.
@19:25: England’s wicket-keeper Jos Buttler says he is keeping his fingers crossed over the fate of the Manchester Test.
@19:00: Since Yogesh Parmar attended the training session on Wednesday, BCCI is keeping their fingers crossed. He could have contracted the virus to others.
@18:45: BCCI and ECB will issue a statement later today deciding the fate of the match.
@18:15: As per BCCI, the final test result that will be available at the end of Thursday will decide the fate of the match.
“The results of the RT-PCR tests (of players) are expected later in the day depending on which the fate of the game will be decided,” a BCCI source told PTI.
17:45: BCCI President Sourav Ganguly unsure whether 5th Test will go on as scheduled.
17:32: Calling off the 5th Test grows as BCCI waits for test results of players.
“The way we see it, there’s no choice but to call off the series. But all stakeholders must be on board with this decision. It’s got to be a collective decision. So, until everybody is on the same page, we can’t really say much,” top source tracking development told TOI.
17:30: Yogesh Parmar has also returned a positive test in second RT-PCR test.
17:00: BCCI Official to InsideSport: “Yes, physiotherapist Yogesh Parmer has tested positive. We are monitoring the situation and waiting for the RT-PCR test results of all the players and Yogesh. They have been isolated. The match is on as of now. We will take a call as we have the test results.”
@16:53: As per Yogesh Parmar, another physiotherapist with the squad has tested positive.
@16:45: As players await COVID-19 test results, if there are further positive tests in the camp, start of IPL 2021 could be affected as the players will be isolated for 10 days as per UK health guidelines.
@16:40: Out of the four, Shastri, Arun and Sridhar all tested positive in the RT-PCR test.
@16:35: It should be noted that Head coach Ravi Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun, fielding coach R Sridhar and physiotherapist Nitin Patel are already in isolation in London.
@16:30: The identity of the infected support staff has not been identified and all the players are currently in isolation.
Just in: A member of India’s support staff in Manchester has tested positive for Covid-19
The team has cancelled their training session scheduled for Thursday afternoon. #ENGvIND
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 9, 2021
“India’s squad members have been asked to stay back in their hotel rooms till further notice,” it added.
The report comes after a fresh round of tests of the India squad on Wednesday evening. India had taken part in the morning training session earlier on September 8. The fifth and final test is scheduled to take place from September 10 at Old Trafford, Manchester. To ensure the smooth conduct of the final test match, all the players should test negative for COVID-19 twice.
The development comes days after India head coach Ravi Shastri and bowling and fielding coaches also tested positive for COVID-19. They are currently placed under quarantine at Oval and set to miss the ongoing test.
Ind vs Eng: The 59-year-old Shastri returned positive in a lateral flow test (Rapid Antigen Test) on Sunday and on Monday, his RT-PCR test report confirmed the infection. Three support staff members — Bharath Arun, fielding coach R Sridhar and physiotherapist Nitin Patel — were also isolated after being deemed his close contacts.
Later, Arun and Sridhar have also tested positive among the three and are currently placed under isolation for at least the next 10 days.
IND vs ENG: Have Team India broken any protocols?
- There is no bio-secure bubble in the UK.
- Instead, they are in a controlled environment and are allowed to go out only in designated places.
- Players and members can visit restaurants that only allow double-vaccinated customers.
- All the Team India members have done that so far.
It all began after Team India attended an event for the book launch of head coach Ravi Shastri without the approval of BCCI and ECB. A packed crowd had attended the grand event at a hotel in the UK. However, there is no confirmed report linking the event to COVID since the lifts at hotels are also used by other people staying over there.
IND vs ENG: BCCI unhappy with Ravi Shastri & Virat Kohli for attending book launch event; Report
The development comes as jolt to Team India ahead of IPL.
“In Manchester, the BCCI is creating a separate IPL bubble for the cricketers as there will be bubble to bubble transfer on September 15. It was pre-decided,” a senior BCCI source had told PTI earlier this last week.
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