Positive COVID-19 tests for two India A coaches found out to be false positive upon retest
Two India A coaches returned a positive result for COVID-19 during their latest round of testing on Wednesday. But upon retesting, the results were deemed false positives. The match continued as all of the players were tested negative for the virus.
#SAAvINDA Day 3 | STUMPS
🇿🇦 An unbeaten 153-run second-wicket partnership between Sarel Erwee (85*) and Zubayr Hamza (78*) sees SA 'A' reach the close of play with an 188-run lead
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The bio-bubble seems to have been breached with the first cases being reported since the start of the tour. Coaching personnel who tested positive were asked to isolate in their rooms for 24 hours. The initial tests were deemed false positive after the retest sample returned a negative result, keeping the bubble safe.
India A support staff took charge of the team in the absence of the coaches. People working under the coaches' wings got to learn about the positive results and the ensuing isolation during the third day's play.
Apparently, before the third unofficial Test, one of the coaches, Sairaj Bahutule, had a fever and had isolated himself for two days as a precautionary measure. His sample, taken during that time, returned negative for Covid-19.
Bahutule is the team's bowling coach with the other members of the coaching staff being Sitanshu Kotak (batting coach) and Subhadeep Ghosh (fielding coach).
South Africa A are currently leading by 188 runs after India A claimed a slender eight-run lead in their first innings. Hanuma Vihari and Ishan Kishan were among the runs once again, with both players recording half-centuries. The latter missed out on a well-deserved century by nine runs.
India will tour South Africa to play three Tests and as many ODIs
The ongoing threat posed by the Omicron variant has forced the two cricketing boards to revisit and amend the schedule of the tour. The visiting Indian side will compete in the Test and ODI series, but the four-match T20I series will be played at a later date.
Cricket South Africa have assured a strict bio-bubble for the visitors, much like the one in place for India A. The board have already postponed all of their domestic encounters as they were not being played inside a bio-bubble.
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India's tour of South Africa will kick start with the Boxing Day Test as per the revamped itinerary. The BCCI have named a Test squad to face the Proteas, with the ODI squad expected to be announced in due time.