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Indian Cricket Team (Image source- Twitter)
In a major development, star all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has tested positive for Covid-19. He is said to have missed his flight to England and is currently under isolation in India. The rest of the Indian team has reached the UK ahead of the all-format series.
According to reports, as the Indian squad was flying to the UK on June 16, Ashwin had tested positive for Covid, causing him to miss the flight. His quarantine period has almost come to an end, and he is likely to rejoin the team before the match. India will play a practice match against Leicestershire, which, according to reports, Ashwin may skip.
"Ashwin hasn’t travelled with the squad to the U.K. as he has tested positive for COVID-19 before departure. But we are hopeful that he will recover well in time before the Test match starts on July 1. However, he might miss the practice game against Leicestershire," a BCCI source was quoted saying by The Indian Express.
In the meantime, most of the players have begun their practice in Leicestershire with batting coach Vikram Rathour and bowling coach Paras Mhambrey. Due to the series against South Africa, head coach Rahul Dravid, along with Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, arrived late. They have arrived in London and will be travelling to Leicestershire to join the rest of the team.
Senior players return to the Indian setup
Many senior players, including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammad Shami, were rested for the T20I series against South Africa. However, they will return for the rescheduled Test match. KL Rahul, who injured his groin before the South Africa series, will miss the match because of a groin injury
India will play England in a one-off Test match on July 1, followed by three T20Is on July 7th, 9th, and 10th. They will end their tour with three one-day internationals, to be played on July 12th, 14th, and 17th. Notably, the one-off Test match is a rescheduled match from India's tour of England in 2021. India currently lead the series 2-1.