As reported first by India Today, the 5th and final Test between England and India in Manchester was called-off on Friday hours ahead of the scheduled start of Day 1 after Covid-19 scare in the Indian camp. India’s physio Yogesh Parmar had tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, forcing the visiting team to cancel their final training session and isolate their players at their hotel rooms.

The England and Wales Cricket Board, in its official statement, initially had said that India ‘forfeited the match’ before revising its statement to say India were ‘unable to field a team’ which led to the cancellation of the Test.

“Following ongoing conversations with the BCCI, the ECB can confirm that the fifth LV= Insurance Test between England and India Men due to start today at Emirates Old Trafford, will be cancelled.

“Due to fears of a further increase in the number of COVID cases inside the camp, India are unable to field a team and will instead forfeit the match,” ECB had said in a statement on Friday.

However, the statement was revised shortly after it was published on the official website of England and Wales Cricket Board.

“Due to fears of a further increase in the number of COVID cases inside the camp, India are regrettably unable to field a team,” the revised statement read. In case a team forfeits a match, the opposition will be declared the winner.

Screengrab from ECB website

Screengrab from ECB website

Incomplete series as of now

Notably, all India players returned negative results in the RT-PCR tests conducted on Wednesday. A second RT-PCR test was taken by the entire unit and the results of the test are awaited on Friday.

Whether the 5th Test will be rescheduled is not clear at this point. The details of how the World Test Championship (WTC) points will be awarded for the series finale is also not clear. The series as of now is incomplete with India leading it 2-1.

Notably, India fielded their team for the 4th Test despite head coach Ravi Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar testing positive for Covid-19 hours ahead of Day 1 at Oval in London last week. All players had tested negative for Covid-19 in London last week. Notably, India were without the said members of the support staff as they were forced into isolation.

Shastri, Arun and Sridhar along with Nitin Patel (who has identified as close contact) did not travel to Manchester for the 5th Test. India had trained at Old Trafford on Wednesday. Yogesh Parmar was the 4th Indian support staff member to test positive for Covid-19.