Manchester: When it came out on Thursday evening that team India junior physio Yogesh Parmar has tested positive for COVID-19, there was a doubt whether the visitors will be able to take the field on Friday at Old Trafford in the fifth and final Test of the series.
The doubt got heavier when the Indian players cancelled their practice session and all the media commitments on the day. But an ECB spokesman declared that all subsequent RT-PCR tests later Thursday within the India camp came negative and the Test is ‘going on’ as scheduled.
India are on the verge of creating history in Manchester. With a 2-1 lead in the series, a draw would give the visitors a historic start to their second World Test Championship campaign. A win here would also make Virat Kohli the first Indian captain to win an away Test series both in Australia (2018-19) and England (2021).
While the Indian team looks well settled, the major worry for the team management would be pacer Jasprit Bumrah’s workload and Anjinkya Rahane’s inconsistency. For the fact, Bumrah has already bowled 151 overs in the past month, including 22 intense overs on the fourth and fifth day of the Oval Test which India won by 157 runs.
As far as Rahane is concerned, the 33-year-old’s bat hasn’t done the talking in six of his last seven innings accumulating just 109 runs. In case Rahane misses out, either Suryakumar Yadav or an ever-dependable Hanuma Vihari could be brought in.
The Mumbaikar even found himself coming in down the order at No.6, with allrounder Ravindra Jadeja being promoted above him. Mohammed Shami, who was left out in the last Test, could possibly squeeze into the lineup in place of Bumrah, if at all the latter is rested.
England on the other hand is determined to deny a home series defeat. The good news for Joe Root’s side is the return of wicketkeeper Jos Buttler with left-arm spinner Jack Leach also included in the squad. Also, it will interesting whether England would offer their talismanic seamer James Anderson a rest after the Lancashire man played all the four Tests despite being 39.
Despite trailing in the series, England has been fairly consistent. It is just in those crucial moments where they have found themselves reeling. However, skipper Root who is in the form of his life will be hoping to make a comeback.
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