Match off. India forfeit the game.
Do England tie the series then?
Yeah it does, only result we could have got a draw if I’m honest shame as it’s been a good series, I assume more tests showed up positive
I guess so. Seems a bit farcical.
Apparently India couldn’t field a team. England should lend them some players like you would for a club game 
Effectively this is too late in the day for many couldn’t give a shit about the fanboys on social media but I do for the fans it’s the risk you take however if lift every bit of restriction when cases are still high.
The test has been cancelled not forfeited. India take the series 2-1
Says it’s still unclear on the BBC
Bit farcical that. Giving people two hours notice, feel for those who have shelled out for tickets, accommodation and trains etc.
Sounds like they couldn’t possibly delay it because that might mean they’d miss the start of the IPL. Priorities I guess.
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First test saved by the weather, this one by covid. Root is a lucky lad as none of that goes in the record books. Actually feel sorry for Koli, on the threshold of a win in England (given the weather)
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Shame, was really looking forward to the fifth test. Its been a cracking series.
Unsurprised they can’t squeeze it in before the IPL kicks off.
As for whether the series is drawn or India win it probably doesn’t matter too much at this point. Maybe on the rankings?
Don’t see how it’s anything other than a forfeit and thus a drawn series. The problem is on the India side. It’s their responsibility to make sure that they have a team to field.
It’s a shame as it could be one of Jimmy Anderson’s last tests on his home ground.
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ECB furious with Ravi Shastri
“The ECB is furious that India’s head coach, Ravi Shastri, attended a book launch in London last week along with 150 members of the public,” writes Nick Hoult.
" He was the first member of the India party to test positive. The book launch had not been cleared by the ECB’s covid compliance department."
None of the players tested positive. They could have fielded a team but were apparently concerned about impacting the IPL.
Sorry, but India have forfeited the game for me.
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ECB modified their original ‘forfeited match’ statement to ‘cancelled’. Seems like it was cancelled.
India also played on in the last test despite multiple staff testing positive. It’s all a bit confusing as it seems like none of the players have returned positive tests. I’m sure the players would want to play, stinks a bit of the administration looking after their IPL interests.
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From what I’ve read, it’s the players who didn’t fancy it. Apparently the BCCI wanted to get the game on.
ECB’s Tom Harrison on TMS
Huge sympathy with players on both sides and huge sympathy with the fans.
We’re really sorry. We were looking forward to the culmination of this series. We hope we can get it on but it won;t be the same [coming at the end] after four brilliant matches.
It is unfair to blame the IPL. There is no agenda here.
Once those fears creep in [among players] they can be very hard to shift. The BCCI was [trying hard to get this match on], very much they were [ie it was the players not the board].
When it comes to matters of mental health, listening to players, on schedule, ongoing commitments, we as administrators have to keep listening.
Has Kohli grabbed a stump yet ?
Is it me or is the standard of cricket a bit poor these days. Currently the best team in the world is a pick between an angry India and a laid back Kiwi team…
I wonder if they would be able to hold their own against the Australian team of the late 90s early 2000s or the many WI teams from the 70s through to the mid 90s. Even amongst those eras you had a great Pakistan team in the 90s and a great SA team in the late 90s/early 2000s - even the England team from the mid-2000s - where they had more than one batsman of consequence…
My question is, what is special about these two current “best” teams that makes them currently the best - is it a case of the best of a bad bunch?
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People have always said that kind of thing. It’s pretty much impossible to compare different teams from different eras.
However, having said that, the best team I can remember is the West Indies from the mid seventies until the late eighties.
It was the swagger with which they played.
Totally agree.
Even the banter seemed more classy. Beefy to Viv after Botham had beaten Richards a couple of times (something along the lines of)…
Botham, “it weighs about 5 ounces, it’s red, shiny and round, you’re supposed to hit it”. The next ball disappears for 6. “you know what it looks like, go fetch it”, replies Richards…
classic
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There are so many good cricket banter stories. The game lends itself very well to it. My favourite is probably,
Glenn McGrath to Eddo Brandes: Hey, Eddo, how come you’re so fat?
Brandes: Because every time I fuck your wife she gives me a biscuit.
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India have an exceptional bowling attack for all conditions, a couple of world class batsman and incredible depth to their squad with seemingly no end to the talent that is emerging.
NZ have an exceptional seam bowling attack, one world class batsman and a top order around him that is very consistent all with averages in the 40s.
Maybe they don’t compare to some of the star studded sides in days gone by but I still think both are pretty damn good teams and the perceived weakness of some of the other nations currently shouldn’t take away from anything both sides have achieved of late.
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