India's players test negative, 5th Test to go ahead

All the Indian players had to undergo the RT-PCR test after assistant physio Yogesh Parmar tested positive for COVID-19 earlier on Thursday.

All the 21 players of India’s Test squad have tested negative for COVID-19. The development clears the decks for the fifth Test against England, in Manchester, to proceed as scheduled on Friday, following uncertainty triggered by a positive case in the visiting contingent.

All the Indian players had to undergo the RT-PCR test after assistant physio Yogesh Parmar tested positive for COVID-19 earlier on Thursday.

The Indians had already lost head physio Nitin Patel, who is currently in isolation after testing positive along with head coach Ravi Shastri and bowling coach Bharath Arun in London.

"All the players have returned with negative test," a senior BCCI source revealed on Friday. While chances of the Test going ahead increased, sources also say that at least one senior Indian player does not want to take the field as he fears someone could test positive while playing the game.

The BCCI is trying to persuade that senior cricketer, whose family is also against him playing the game, according to the source. 

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly is also unsure whether the Test will go ahead.

Speaking at the book launch of 'Mission Domination' in Kolkata on Thursday evening, he said: "We don't know if match will happen at the moment. Hopefully we can get some game."

India lead the five-match series 2-1 after winning the fourth Test at The Oval by 157 runs.