Positive news! Indian players test negative for coronavirus

Sydney, Jan 4: In very positive news for the cricket world, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed that five Indian players - Rohit Sharma, Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, and Navdeep Saini - have tested negative for the coronavirus.

 

Team India players had faced one of the toughest weekends on Australian soil during this tour. The Indian cricket team had come under unwanted media scrutiny after these five players had gone to a restaurant in Melbourne but it is understood that all necessary protocols were followed. "Playing members of the Indian Cricket Team and support staff underwent an RT-PCR Test for Covid-19 on January 3, 2021. All tests have returned negative results," the BCCI said.

 

The Australian media also keeps talking about an investigation of an alleged breach in the bio-bubble protocol by the five Indian players, the Indian team has shut the outside world as it focuses on the third Test between India and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, starting from January 7.

 

Even Queensland health minister Ros Bates on Sunday gave a blunt message to the touring Indian team following reports suggesting that the side is not keen on traveling to Brisbane for the fourth and final Test due to quarantine protocols. She said that if the Indian team is not going to play by the rules, then do not come.

 

 

A visit to a restaurant on Friday by India vice-captain Rohit, Shaw, Pant, Gill, and Saini has been blown out of proportion after a fan in a series of tweets claimed that he had paid the bill of the Indian players at the restaurant. He also said that he ordered extra food so could he watch the players eating in the restaurant. He went on to add that he had been hugged by Pant.

 

But on Saturday, he pushed out a clarification saying: "Pant never hugged me it was all said in excitement we maintained social distance all thru J Apologies for miscommunication @BCCI @CricketAus @dailytelegraph (sic)."