Uncertainty Looms Over Fifth Test

All the 21 players of the India Test squad have tested negative for COVID-19, a development that clears the decks for the fifth Test against England to proceed as scheduled from Friday after the uncertainty triggered by a positive case in the visiting contingent.

The entire India group had to undergo RT-PCR tests after assistant physiotherapist Yogesh Parmar tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday. The Indians are already without head physiotherapist Nitin Patel, who is currently in isolation in London after testing positive along with head coach Ravi Shastri and bowling coach Bharat Arun.

“All the players have returned negative tests,” a senior BCCI source told PTI. The players were told to remain in their respective rooms as RT-PCR testing was being carried out.

While chances of the Test match happening have increased, sources say that at least one senior Indian player doesn’t want to take the field as he fears someone might test positive while playing the game. The BCCI is trying to persuade that senior cricketer, whose family is also against him playing the game, according to a source.

Team India chases history

MANCHESTER: Jasprit Bumrah will have to squeeze every ounce of energy from his already overworked body while Ajinkya Rahane would hope to get one final chance to save his international career when India takes on England in the fifth and final Test, chasing a historic series win.

Virat Kohli now has the opportunity to become the first Indian captain to win an away Test series both in Australia (2018-19) and England (2021). India leads the series 2-1. However, just like the last four Tests, the visitor’s line-up for the game is set to evoke curiosity.

At the heart of the conversation will be Bumrah’s workload after having bowled 151 overs in the past one month, including 22 intense ones on the fourth and fifth day of the Oval Test which India won by 157 runs. Just like Bumrah, another situation surrounds Rahane’s inclusion after his twin failures on a good batting deck at The Oval.

Six failures in seven innings with confidence shot to pieces are not the Rahane everyone is familiar with. Yet considering this is the last Test of the series, Kohli might think of giving his deputy one last chance, failing which his India career might be in line.

If not, Suryakumar Yadav’s flamboyance or Hanuma Vihari’s doggedness could be used to unsettle the English attack that might be sans James Anderson, who has taken tremendous workload during this summer.