Team India's Practice Session At The MCG Abandoned Due To Rain

As team India prepare to seal the four-match series in the third Test in Sydney, their practice session took a hit in Melbourne. On Sunday, their training sessions stood cancelled at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the face of rains. Earlier, the BCCI’s official Twitter account posted a video of the tourists working on their fielding skills, which are vital in Australia’s big grounds.

India and Australia will not travel to Sydney until two days before the third Test due to the COVID-19 outbreak in New South Wales. The two sides have decided to practice in Melbourne itself. India levelled the four-match rubber at the iconic MCG in style, beating Australia by eight wickets after a comprehensive defeat in Adelaide. Stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane spearheaded the win, scoring a century in the first innings and earning the match award man.

Meanwhile, reports of an alleged breaking of COVID-19 protocols by the Indian team also came to light. The five cricketers in Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Navdeep Saini, Rishabh Pant, and Prithvi Shaw have been put in isolation after eating in an indoor restaurant in Melbourne on New Year’s Eve. While the BCCI and Cricket Australia investigate the matter, the five men have to remain in precautionary isolation.

Team India reluctant to travel to Brisbane for the fourth Test:

In addition to that, reports have also emerged that the tourists are unwilling to play the Gabba Test in Brisbane as they fear yet another hard lockdown, which could curtail their movement. The third Test in Sydney is scheduled to begin on the 7th of January while the fourth in Brisbane is slated to commence on the 15th. As for the freedom of movement, BCCI already clarified that team India must be treated like everyone else after the 14-day quarantine period.

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