Pataudi Trophy 2021: Shastri, Arun, Sridhar test positive in RT-PCR test; not travelling to Manchester

Indian cricket team head coach Ravi Shastri delivered a shock to the Indian team when he had tested positive in the COVID Lateral Flow Test on Saturday. In contrast, he, along with Bharat Arun (bowling coach) and fielding coach (R Sridhar), had gone into isolation.

Meanwhile, the RT-PCR test conducted on the trio on Sunday confirmed that they are COVID positive. As a result, they will now have to isolate themselves for ten days, thus ruling them out of contention to travel with the side to Manchester for the fifth Test, starting Friday.

A source from the Board of Control for Cricket in India told PTI that Shastri is experiencing a mild symptom of a sore throat. Meanwhile, the BCCI would also be creating a separate bubble for the IPL players to facilitate bubble to bubble transfer in the United Arab Emirates after the conclusion of the fifth Test.

Only batting coach Vikram Rathour would be travelling with the team to Manchester and acting as the side's head coach, while the ones isolating would be in constant touch with skipper Virat Kohli during the fifth Test. As for the physio, India already has a backup in the form of Yogesh Parmar, along with a couple of trainers Nick Webb and Soham Desai, while three masseurs would also accompany the team.

It is being presumed that Shastri could have contracted the virus while interacting with people during his book launch event last week in London or while using a common lift at the ground that approximately 5,000 VIP guests use. However, the playing members of Team India have all tested negative in the Later Flow Tests conducted on Saturday and Sunday. All the members are entirely vaccinated,

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