India cricket team’s junior physio Yogesh Parmar has tested positive for COVID-19 and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly is unsure whether the fifth and final Test against England from Friday will go ahead.
After head coach Ravi Shastri and bowling coach Bharat Arun, another member of the support staff tested positive, the team forced the team to cancel their practice session on Thursday.
“We don’t know whether the match will happen at this point of time. Hopefully we will get some game,” Ganguly said at the book launch of ‘Mission Domination’ in Kolkata.
The RT-PCR test report of the players is still awaited.
Parmar tests positive even with chief physio Nitin Patel leaving the team without a physio after Shastri contracted the virus during the Oval Test.
It is learned that the BCCI has asked the England and Wales Cricket Board to release a physio.
“The results of the RT-PCR test (of the players) are expected later, on the basis of which the fate of the game will be decided,” a BCCI source said.
Players have been asked to stay in their respective rooms as RT-PCR test is being done.
Apart from Shastri and Patel, fielding coaches R Sridhar and Arun are also isolated in London.
The team was accompanied by only batting coach Vikram Rathour when they won the fourth Test at the Oval on the fifth day.
All players and support staff have been fully vaccinated, but with both teams not operating in strict bio-bubbles, life in the UK is almost back to normal.
Shastri is likely to get symptoms after attending the release of his book at the team hotel, where outside guests were also allowed.
Arun, Patel and Sridhar personally participated in that ceremony.
India lead 2-1 in the five-match series.
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