Ind vs Eng / ECB ask BCCI to forfeit 5th Test, India to play if players test COVID-19 -ve: Reports

Cricket Desk: In a rather surprising development, the England and Wales Cricket Board [ECB] have reportedly asked their Indian counterparts, BCCI, to forfeit the fifth and final Test at Old Trafford in Manchester if the latter wants it to be canceled due to Covid.

According to a report published in the Times of India, the ECB has asked the BCCI to give the English team a walk-over in the fifth Test. However, the Indian board argued against the logic of such a demand. It is believed that the discussions led to a serious clash of opinions between the members of both boards.

The final Test of the Pataudi Trophy is scheduled to begin in Manchester on September 10 and the viability of it taking place has come under serious jeopardy. This is after Team India’s assistant physio, Yogesh Parmar, returned Covid positive on the eve of the match.

The Indian team did not practice on Thursday. The players were asked to stay in their hotel rooms as medical professionals conducted RT-PCR tests for the entire contingent. The fate of the game hinges on reports of the tests, which are slated to come out later today.

Indian team in no mood to forfeit 5th Test

Meanwhile, according to the same report in TOI, captain Virat Kohli and opener Rohit Sharma have conveyed in clear terms to the BCCI that the Indian team is in no mood to forfeit the Test match.

The senior duo have made it clear that while they will not forfeit the Test match, they are open to playing the game at a later date should Covid disrupt things.

The BCCI have asked Kohli and Rohit to 'hold onto their horses' before they further take up the matter with the ECB.

The TOI quoted a source who is in favor of canceling the Test match. The source said:

“If it can be argued that the Nottingham Test match could’ve gone either way, it can be argued that Manchester could go either way. Now, the point is, what if the threat of Covid goes either way? In that case, the Test match doesn’t happen, the IPL is risked and there’s a cascading after-effect to everything that ensues,”

India are currently leading the 5-match rubber 2-1. Should the final Test get called-off, the two sides could well complete the series next year when Virat Kohli's men travel to England for white-ball fixtures.