The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is working with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to reschedule the fifth Test after it was called off due to coronavirus fears.
The final match in the series at Old Trafford, which India lead 2-1, was cancelled a little over two hours before the first day of action was due to begin at 11:00 BST as India felt they were unable to field a team.
India head coach Ravi Shastri tested positive for COVID-19 during the fourth Test victory at The Oval and has been isolating along with backroom staff members Bharat Arun, R Sridhar and Nitin Patel.
Another member of the tourists' camp, reported to be a junior physio, was next to test positive on Thursday, forcing India to cancel their training session on the eve of the match
Despite each member of the India squad returning negative PCR tests on Thursday, the decision was taken to call off the fifth Test to prevent the respiratory disease from further spreading.
In a statement published on Friday, the ECB initially said that India had forfeited the Test and the series was therefore drawn at 2-2, but they later clarified that was not the case.
The BCCI has now stated the call to cancel the contest was a joint decision and the governing body is working closely with the ECB to find a window to reschedule the final Test.
"The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) along with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have jointly decided to call off the fifth Test match scheduled at Manchester in India's tour of England 2021," the statement read.
"The BCCI and ECB held several rounds of discussion to find a way to play the Test match, however, the outbreak of Covid-19 in the Indian team contingent forced the decision of calling off the Old Trafford Test match.
"In lieu of the strong relationship between BCCI and ECB, the BCCI has offered to ECB a rescheduling of the cancelled Test match. Both the Boards will work towards finding a window to reschedule this Test match.
"The BCCI has always maintained that the safety and well-being of the players is of paramount importance and there will be no compromise on that aspect.
"The BCCI would like to thank the ECB for their co-operation and understanding in these trying times. We would like to apologise to the fans for not being able to complete an enthralling series."
Any prospect of rescheduling the match during the current tour seems unlikely as the Indian Premier League resumes in the United Arab Emirates on September 19.
England are already due to host India next year across three T20Is and three ODIs, including a T20 fixture in Manchester on July 1.
Rush among broadcasters for inaugural Global Super League
The 2024 ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL), featuring teams from Australia, Bangladesh, England, Guyana, and Pakistan, has finalized its list of broadcasters, ensuring global reach for the tournament set to run from November 26 to December 6.
Fans across the world will have access to live coverage of the tournament, which boasts a US$1 million prize fund and promises top-quality cricket with international stars competing for a global T20 title.
In the Caribbean, Rush will be the official broadcaster, providing fans in the region with comprehensive coverage of all the matches. In Guyana, NCN, TVG, and ENetworks will bring the tournament to local viewers, reflecting the host nation’s enthusiasm for the event.
The tournament will also be broadcast in key cricketing markets such as Australia on Fox Sports, India via Sony and Fancode, Pakistan on A Sports and Tapmad, and in the United Kingdom through TNT Sports. Additionally, Sky Sport NZ will cover the matches in New Zealand, and Willow TV will cater to viewers in the USA and Canada.
For fans in markets without a dedicated broadcast partner, the GSL will provide free live streaming on its Facebook and YouTube channels, ensuring accessibility to cricket enthusiasts worldwide.
The GSL, held exclusively at the Guyana National Stadium, promises to bring together the best of global T20 cricket, with players from different nations vying for the coveted title. The tournament’s global broadcasting network underscores its ambition to become a staple in the international cricket calendar.
As excitement builds for the inaugural edition, cricket fans everywhere can look forward to enjoying the action, whether through local broadcasters or online platforms.
India thrash Australia to take advantage in Border Gavaskar Trophy
India completed the turnaround against Australia on day four, sealing a 295-run thrashing in their first Test in Perth.
The hosts had a daunting task ahead of them on Monday as they resumed at 12-3, needing 522 runs to win after India had declared their second innings on 487-6 on day three.
However, India's attack picked up where they left off, with Usman Khawaja (four) and Steve Smith (17) struggling to raise any hopes of what would have been a sensational comeback.
Mitchell Marsh (47) started nervously but hung in to help Travis Head (89) restore some pride as Australia finally settled into their rhythm after lunch.
Head was stopped short of his century by Jasprit Bumrah, who finished the second innings on 3-42, taking his eighth wicket of the Test as the tourists regained control.
Alex Carey's 36 steadied some late nerves, but it was in vain, as Washington Sundar took two wickets before Harshit Rana finished Carey's stand, with Australia only on 238, to seal India's third-biggest away Test win in history.
Data Debrief: Leading by example
Things did not look bright for India when they racked up just 150 runs in their first innings, but India's attack restored faith before finishing the job on Monday and clinching their biggest Test win (by runs) in Australia.
With bowling figures of 8-72 in the first Test, captain Bumrah (40 wickets) became India's third leading wicket-taker in men's Tests played in Australia (Kapil Dev - 51, Anil Kumble - 49); all 40 of those wickets have come on Australian soil.
While a 1-0 lead in the series does not rule out a comeback for Australia, the hosts have won just one Test series when losing the opener (home and away since 1970). They have lost 24 series and drawn five, though three of those five draws were two-match series.
West Indies in control as Bangladesh battle to avoid follow-on
West Indies will take a 181-run lead heading into day four of their opening Test against Bangladesh.
Having dominated day two, West Indies turned in another excellent display on Sunday to further gain control of the match.
After resuming on 40-2, Bangladesh saw Shahadat Hossain fall to Kemar Roach (1-30), but Mominul Haque did reach 50 before he was pinned lbw by Jayden Seales (2-42).
Shamar Joseph dismissed Litton Das (40) soon after as the Windies bowlers stepped into their rhythm, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (23) was soon sent packing by Alzarri Joseph, who grabbed his second wicket when he bowled Taijul Islam (18).
However, that wicket came after Taijul had combined with Jaker Ali (53) to offer some resistance and ensured the tourists avoided the follow-on.
Jaker was caught by Seales when attempting to slog Justin Greaves (2-34), with Taskin Ahmed (11 not out) and Shoriful Islam (five not out) guiding Bangladesh to 269-9 at stumps, chasing West Indies' first-innings total of 450.
Data Debrief: Bravery needed for Bangladesh
It is all about hanging on now for Bangladesh, who have to somehow see out the next two days if they are to avoid a fifth straight Test defeat.
West Indies, meanwhile, look all set to make it five Tests unbeaten at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, where Bangladesh are out to avoid a third loss.
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