INDIA vs ENGLAND 2021: Indian cricketer in England tests positive, quarantined
A player from the Indian cricket team has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19. The news comes during the build-up to the India vs England Test series. Indian players are set to enter the bio bubble in Durham on Thursday.
The affected player is likely to stay in quarantine at his relative's place. He will join the team in Durham once he recovers. According to reports, the player experienced a sore throat, which led to a Covid test and the result came back positive. The players who came in contact with the affected player were kept in isolation for three days and have now completed their isolation period.
The news came soon after some players from the England team were tested positive ahead of the series against Pakistan. As a result England had to field a completely new squad against the Asian side. Despite the setback, the England team led by Ben Stokes won the ODI series 3-0 against a full-strength Pakistan side.
Even though a fresh England side won this series, the question of how the virus entered the bubble was left unanswered. In his statement, ECB chief executive Tom Harrison mentioned the Delta variant of the virus without revealing if the squad members were affected by it.
A win in England will help India heal from their World Test Championship wounds
The World Test Championship Final was a match to forget for the Indian side. Despite performing well for two years in the tournament, they failed to bag the title by losing the final. The Indian team had to stay in England ahead of the Test series in August.
Luckily for them they were given a break from the bio-bubble. They were allowed to spend time as they wished to in England. BCCI approved their leave with instructions that all players will return to the bio-bubble by mid July. India will hope that the player recovers in time as this is a very important series for the team.
Winning a Test series in England is amongst the biggest achievements for any side. The first game of the five-match Test series begins on August 4. India are likely to play a warm-up game in England ahead of this series. This will be the perfect opportunity for the Indian team to gear up ahead of a tough England tour.