IND vs ENG: Virat Kohli & Co to play one-off Test against Root's England

IND vs ENG: India to play one-off Test: Virat Kohli & Co will play a one-off Test in England during their limited-overs tour in July of 2022. It was decided after BCCI and the ECB came to an agreement to replace the abandoned 5th Test at Manchester. However, whether the one-off Test will be part of the incomplete Test series or a standalone match will be decided later with ICC intervention.

Since Virat Kohli & Co refused to take the field in Manchester for the 5th Test following a Covid-19 outbreak in the Indian camp, ECB and former English players have been gung-ho about the decision. The decision also led to a huge loss for ECB. It is understood that the BCCI has agreed to play the one-off Test to alleviate the loss, ESPN Cricinfo reported.

Also Read: IND vs ENG: Former English cricketer Paul Newman blames IPL second phase as reason for cancelled 5th Test

IND vs ENG: The exact date of the match is yet to be decided. The BCCI wanted to play two extra T20Is instead of the match. The Indian board is also in strong favour of the Test series to be declared in India’s favour and play the Test as a standalone match. But ECB isn’t in favour. The final decision is to be taken at a later stage.

IND vs ENG: Virat Kohli & Co to play one-off Test against Joe Root’s England, decision on series decider tag later

IND vs ENG: Why did Virat Kohli & Co refuse to play 5th Test?

Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma felt their families including kids were not safe after assistant physio Yogesh Parmar tested positive for Covid-19.
BCCI and ECB both were not happy with Virat Kohli and the entire Team India attending head coach Ravi Shastri’s book launch party in London before the 4th Test.
Kohli & Rohit Sharma led the team to write a letter to the BCCI, informing them about not taking the field on Day 1 of 5th Test at Old Trafford.
ECB had to refund tickets and incurred heavy losses from broadcasting partner SKY Sports.
Kohli and other players joined their respective IPL franchises in UAE from the next day onwards. Some flew charter while others took commercial flights.
ECB asked BCCI to forfeit the 5th Test but Virat Kohli & Co refused.
BCCI secretary offered to play two extra T20Is to alleviate the loss.
Now, the arrangement has been made to play the 5th Test, a decision on whether it will be the 5th Test or a standalone Test match will be decided later with ICC intervention.

Also Read: Ind vs Eng: Jay Shah confirms, ‘We will play extra T20Is against England’

IND vs ENG: After the abandonment of the 5th Test, Indian stars including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and others joined their respective IPL teams in Dubai. It came after ECB tried to assure Indian players but they didn’t agree.

That irked ECB and the England board demanded BCCI to pay for the losses incurred and forfeit the match, declaring the series a 2-2 draw. However, BCCI didn’t agree to the arrangements either and instead it agreed to play a one-off Test during the July-August tour.

Also Read in Hindi:

IND vs ENG: However, that didn’t stop former England players from pointing fingers at players’ prioritising IPL 2021 over Test. It also led to a last-minute pullout from England players such as Chris Woakes (DC), Jonny Bairstow (SRH) and Dawid Malan (PBKS) from IPL 2021, although it was never cited as the reason. Chris Woakes cited bubble fatigue but has continued to play in County Championships.

The latest decision is set to alleviate the tension between the two boards while the match is also expected to be held at the Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester. But a decision on that is yet to be taken.

IND vs ENG: Virat Kohli & Co to play one-off Test against Joe Root’s England, decision on series decider tag later

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