One More Team India Support Staff Member Tests Positive For Covid On Eve Of Manchester Test

Another member of the Indian cricket team's support staff has tested positive for COVID-19, a day ahead of the fifth and final Test against England in Manchester, according to NDTV sources. India's training session on the eve of the Test has been cancelled as a result. Earlier, head coach Ravi Shastri and fellow members of the support staff -- Bharat Arun, R Sridhar and Nitin Patel -- had gone into isolation in England after Shastri returned a positive test result. According to later reports, two of Shastri's fellow support staff members in isolation had also tested positive.

The Virat Kohli-led Indian cricket team had last trained in Manchester on Wednesday but were asked to stay in the hotel following Thursday's positive test result.

India currently lead the five-match Test series 2-1 and need only a draw in Manchester to secure victory in the series.

The visitors had begun the series by drawing the opening Test at Trent Bridge in a match affected by rain.

In the second Test at Lord's, India scripted a 151-run win to take a 1-0 lead in the series but England came back strongly in the third Test at Headingley as India collapsed for 78 in their first innings before suffering a humiliating defeat by an innings and 76 runs.

Kohli's side, however, fought back in the fourth Test at the Oval and, buoyed by impressive performances from Rohit Sharma and Shardul Thakur, clinched a win by 157 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

India are looking to claim a fourth Test series victory on English soil.

Topics mentioned in this article

Cricket England vs India, 2021 India Cricket Team England Cricket Team