Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant Cleared To Play As Team India Test Negative For COVID-19
Published - 04 Jan 2021, 10:06 AM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:39 AM
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In a huge boost ahead of the crucial third Test against Australia, Team India players have tested negative for the coronavirus. The visitors recently landed in a huge controversy and faced stinging criticism from the Australian media after five players of their squad – Rohit Sharma, Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill and Navdeep Saini – had gone to a restaurant in Melbourne.
The BCCI and the team-management, however, maintained that all the necessary protocols were followed. Later, the five players were separated from the rest of the India squad “in accordance with the strict protocols that have been put in place to ensure the ongoing safety of all members of the Indian and Australian squads,” said a Cricket Australia statement on Saturday.
“Playing members of the Indian Cricket Team and support staff underwent an RT-PCR Test for Covid-19 on January 3, 2021. All tests have returned negative results,” the BCCI said in a statement.
Team India shut the outside world:
While the media and the cricketing world has been taking shots at Team India, the team has shut the outside world. Team India has decided to completely ignore the controversy and focus on the third Test, scheduled to be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 7. According to ANI, sources in the know of developments in the team said that reports in the media is not a concern for the players and they are leaving no stone unturned to prepare for the third Test.
“The boys have shut the outside world and they are not even looking at who is saying what. We are backing our belief that no protocol was broken and that is that. We are now looking at the third Test and the focus is on the next game at the SCG. We want to make it 2-1 by the time we leave the SCG at the end of the Test match,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the four-match series is currently locked at 1-1. Having won the second Test in a stunning fashion, Team India would be keen to continue their winning run in the Sydney. A win will be enough for the visitors to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
