The fifth and final Test between India and England is finally set to go ahead on Friday (September 10) after plenty of back-and-forth due to yet another positive COVID-19 Test in the Indian camp. It is learnt that if the Test match goes ahead as per schedule, then pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, having bowled 151 overs, will be rested and a fit Mohammed Shami will take his place.


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In another development, Ravichandran Ashwin could finally get his first game of the series as Ravindra Jadeja is suffering from a leg strain. News agency PTI reported that one senior member of the playing XI is undecided whether he wants to play in this Test match. If the reluctant senior player decides to sit out then Suryakumar Yadav or Hanuma Vihari might get into the playing XI.


Earlier, physio Yogesh Parmar’s positive COVID-19 report had prompted BCCI president Sourav Ganguly to admit that there was uncertainty around the Test. After head coach Ravi Shastri and bowling coach Bharath Arun, another member of the support staff testing positive forced the team to cancel its practice session on Thursday.



“We don’t know if match will happen at the moment. Hopefully we can get some game,” said Ganguly at the book launch of ‘Mission Domination’ in Kolkata as a part of Tata Literature Festival.


There was speculation that the ECB proposed that India forfeit the match in case reports of the players come out positive. However, India had turned down the idea. Parmar testing positive leaves the team without a physio with the main physio Nitin Patel already in isolation after Shastri contracted the virus during the Oval Test.


It is learnt that the BCCI has asked the ECB to spare a physio. Besides head coach Ravi Shastri and Nitin Patel, fielding coach R Sridhar and Bharat Arun are also isolating in London. Only batting coach Vikram Rathour was with the team when it won the fourth Test at the Oval on day five.


All the players and the support staff are fully vaccinated but both teams are not operating in strict bio-bubbles with life in UK almost back to normal. Shastri is likely to have got the symptoms after attending the launch of his book in the team hotel where outside guests were also allowed. Arun, Patel and Sridhar attended that function in person.


(with PTI inputs)