ENG vs IND: After Ravi Shastri, Bharat Arun and R Sridhar also test positive for COVID-19

COVID-19 has breached the Indian camp on the England tour. After Ravi Shastri, the RT-PCR results of bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar have also returned positive results for the virus. There is no information yet on the reports of the fourth member physiotherapist Nitin Patel who also underwent RT-PCR test after being deemed as a close contact of Shastri.

All the four members are currently missing from India’s dressing room since Day 4 of the ongoing Oval Test as head coach’s Ravi Shastri’s lateral flow test returned positive. The other three support staff members were also isolated in their respective hotel rooms as they all underwent RT-PCR tests. Shastri, meanwhile, is also experiencing COVID symptoms like sore throat.

According to India Today, Shastri, Bharat Arun and Sridhar will miss the Manchester Test scheduled to be played from September 10 to 14. The trio of the players will now have to undergo 10 days of isolation and then return two negative tests before traveling back home.

The Indian players will travel to the UAE for the Indian Premier League (IPL) soon after the end of the fifth Test. The non-IPL players will return home, however, without their head coach, bowling and fielding coach.

India fighting for victory at Oval

Meanwhile, the fifth day’s play at The Oval has begun. The game is tantalisingly poised at the moment with England needing around 275 more runs to win with 10 wickets in hand. The pitch has nothing in it for the bowlers except for the rough for the left-handers to tackle outside the off-stump.

It was the fourth day when India once again responded strongly after being put under pressure and the batting coach Vikram Rathour was pleased to see the fight especially after what happened in the Indian camp in terms of COVID.

“It was an extremely important day for us, to focus on cricket. So I think the boys did extremely well to not get distracted. There was a potential that we can (be) distracted from the situation that happened last night, but a lot of credit goes to the boys, the way they handled themselves and the way we played as a team,” he said after the end of day’s play on Sunday.