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Following an outbreak of COVID-19 in their camp, India decided to pull out of the fifth and final Test against England. With the series interestingly poised at 2-1 in favor of the visitors, the players and the fans were denied what promised to be an enthralling end to a highly competitive series.
With the second phase of the 2021 Indian Premier League set to commence on September 19 in the UAE, the BCCI has reportedly informed the ECB that the fifth Test cannot be played immediately. The encounter is expected to be rescheduled to a later date, presumably next summer when India tour England for white-ball series.
The decision has been met with criticism and understanding in equal measure. Here are five experts who have chimed in on the events in Manchester.
#5 Former England captain Michael Atherton
Sky Sports pundit and former England captain Michael Atherton provided an insightful take into the situation. He illustrated how the IPL has always been "hanging over" the fifth Test, saying:
"There are two things that are different from last Christmas, one is the vaccinations which weren't there then but are there now and secondly, the IPL which is a big thing hanging over. IPL has always been the big thing hanging over this Test."
Atherton stated that the cricketing body in Lancashire, a county which has its home at the venue of the fifth Test (Old Trafford, Manchester), was always worried about the match being canceled.
"IPL was cancelled in May and rescheduled in UAE four days after this Test. And the fear with Lancashire officials was that if COVID did come with IPL hanging on the back of it, what affect would that have on this game."
Atherton shed light on the fact that the BCCI tried to get the fifth Test relocated or rescheduled even before the tour. He said:
"They (BCCI) wanted this last Test moved to the start of the series, that was the story three-four months ago. But because of The Hundred and various other things the ECB was reluctant to move this game. So there has always been a kind of cloud hanging over this Test and unfortunately the cloud has released its contents."
#4 India cricketer and commentator Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik has quickly become a massive fan favorite after a superb stint as a commentator during the Test series. With his colorful shirts, unique voice and excellent delivery, the 36-year-old has built a cult following on social media.
Speaking about the situation in the Indian camp, Karthik said that the players were apprehensive about their physical and mental fitness. He said:
"They are tired and they have only one physio right now. They had two, but before this, one went down along with the chief coach, another couple of the coaches. So they had one physio, so they've done a lot of work with that man. And now he tests positive. Now, that is the problem I think that's when they got the jitters a little bit."
Karthik highlighted the numerous high-profile assignments awaiting the Indian players after the England Test series and pointed out how bio-bubbles take a toll. He added:
"You also have to understand, as soon as this finishes, they have the IPL and soon after that the World Cup, and soon after that the New Zealand series and we are talking about literally one week turnarounds. How many bubbles can they do? When they left, when they rather assembled in India, they assembled on May 16. It's four months, almost four months. That's a lot of time already."
Karthik concluded by iterating that players testing positive during the Test match would be a massive nightmare for all parties involved.
"Most of them haven't even slept till 3 o'clock so the Test match happening today was out of the question almost. It's whether they can delay it further, but you have to imagine, you have to remember that there is a good chance that in the RT-PCR test three days later, someone could test positive and if he's in the playing 11, then what happens to that person."
#3 Former England captain Nasser Hussain
Former England captain Nasser Hussain, part of the Sky Sports commentary team for the Test series, voiced a balanced take on the whole matter. Stating that the IPL has undoubtedly influenced the decision, Hussain opined that a lot of factors are at play. He said:
"Initially, the BCCI was always very concerned about this Test match. They wanted everything moved to make sure the IPL is a huge financial issue hanging over the game, over Indian cricket. They have already moved it, then moved it half of it this time around. Of course, this is about the IPL, but this is about players who are thinking: If get down positive here now, today, I have to do another 10 days.”
Hussain went on to add that he has a lot of "sympathy" for the Indian players, who've all been treated by the member of the medical team who tested positive for COVID-19.
"I have a lot of sympathy with the Indian players as they've had two physios, who tested positive for COVID-19. The second one would have been treating all the players with some sore bodies ahead of a fifth Test match. You cannot do physiotherapy without close contact. Even those players have tested negative a couple of times now, the incubation period means they are worried that two or three days into the Test match they test positive and three or four players go down."
#2 Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar, who was also part of the commentary team for the India-England Test series, backed the BCCI's decision. He drew parallels to England's status during the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, after which they returned to complete the series. The former India captain said:
"Yes, I think that the decision of rescheduling the canceled Manchester Test would be the correct thing to do. We should never forget what the England team did in 2008 after the horrific attack, the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. The English team came back. They were perfectly entitled to say, 'we don't feel safe, so We will not come back'. Never forget that Kevin Pietersen led the team, and he was the main man. If KP had said no and refused then that would have been the end of the matter."
Gavaskar added that the BCCI's offer to play the fifth Test at a later time vindicates how good the relationship between the two boards is. He added:
"It is a piece of fantastic news that the BCCI is willing to make up for it. It is exactly how the relationship between two boards should be. It is absolutely apt that the BCCI offers to play the game during their next tour to England. I think the IPL will finish in early June. So there is enough time for them to go a few days early, depending on whether we still have COVID and all the restrictions, and maybe play a Test match before or after."
#1 Former England captain Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan isn't one to shy away from expressing his opinions on social media, and he was active on Twitter in the aftermath of India's decision being made public.
He insisted that India "let English cricket down," but opined that it would be hypocritical of England fans to point fingers because of a similar incident that happened last year in South Africa.
Vaughan made his feelings known in a series of tweets and a column for the Telegraph that have divided opinion. He tweeted:
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