Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri might be in trouble as the BCCI has sought an explanation as to why the Indian cricket team attended a book launch.
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The Indian cricket team is on a high currently in England following their win at The Oval. The 157-run win has ensured that India cannot lose the series and are on the cusp of ending their 14-year Test jinx in England. The win at The Oval was the third in Virat Kohli’s captaincy career in England, making him the most successful Indian captain of all time in England. But, off the field, there are some troubles looming for Virat Kohli and the head coach Ravi Shastri.
During the Oval Test, the BCCI released a press release that stated that head coach Ravi Shastri had tested positive for the coronavirus. Along with Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun, fielding coach R Sridhar and physio Nitin Patel also tested positive. Arun and Sridhar’s reports have come out positive after yet another round of testing while Patel is in isolation. All the coaching staff members will miss the fifth Test in Manchester.
What was the main reason for the coaching staff testing positive? According to various media reports, it was a book launch in London.
The BCCI is reportedly miffed that prior permission to attend the book launch was not taken by the team from the board. Virat Kohli and some others attended the launch function of coach Ravi Shastri’s book – Star Gazer. Photos of the players attending the event were shared with the BCCI officials.
A BCCI official told the Times of India that this incident has left the board embarrassed. “The coach and the captain will be asked to explain the circumstances after the fourth Test at Oval,” the official stated. The Indian cricket team members had tested negative. This was the main reason why there were allowed to play days four and five at The Oval. Had they tested positive, the Test would have been abandoned with the fifth Test also in doubt.
The Indian team is leaving for Manchester for the fifth and final Test on September 10. India has a packed calendar ahead of them. After the end of the fifth Test, Indian cricket team members will depart to the UAE for the resumption of IPL 2021. After the end of the IPL, the ICC World T20 will also be played, with India’s first game against Pakistan on October 24.
The current development has slightly soured the occasion of India winning the Oval Test. This is the first time ever that India has won at both the London venues simultaneously. India won a Test at The Oval for the first time in 50 years. In their previous win in 1971, they won at The Oval with Bhagwat Chandrasekhar taking six wickets in his second innings. The win at The Oval was the first for India in England.
India will be aiming to win in Manchester, a venue where they have never won. England, on the other hand, will be determined to level the series. For the first time in 20 years, England’s home summer will end without a Test series win. They had earlier lost the two-Test series to New Zealand on May 0-1. After the end of this series, England will play a limited-overs series against Pakistan as well as the World T20. After that assignment, England will embark on the all-important Ashes series Down Under.
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