Australia hoping to de-escalate COVID protocol standoff with India regarding Gabba Test match

India’s threat to boycott the Gabba has left Australia scrambling to avoid another showdown with the BCCI, reminiscent of the infamous Monkeygate drama.

Australia is hopeful a misunderstanding over quarantine protocols may avert another ‘Monkeygate’ style showdown with India over the Gabba Test.

Team India on Sunday made an explosive stance with the potential to send the series into chaos, by making private declarations they would not fly to Queensland from NSW if it meant being subjected to strict hotel quarantine.

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India's Cheteshwar Pujara (right) and Ajinkya Rahane weren’t involved in the Indian restaurant saga. Picture: William West/AFP

The reports sent shockwaves through the game, not only because it would leave the already tested schedule in tatters, but because India would instantly assume a major advantage in the 1-1 Border Gavaskar series by avoiding the Gabbatoir, a venue they have never won at and Australia has not lost at in 31 years.

India famously held Australia to ransom over the ugly ‘Monkeygate’ scandal in 2008, and administrators were on Sunday night scrambling to smooth the waters with the all-powerful BCCI — at a time when President Sourav Ganguly is in hospital recovering from a heart attack.

Despite another day of drama in the COVID-hit series, a key quarantine provision revealed by Queensland Health on Sunday has left Cricket Australia officials confident a crisis could be avoided.

Officials believe the murmurs of discontent coming out of the team on the ground were not reflected by BCCI decision-makers back in Mumbai.

Under a proposal Cricket Australia and Queensland Health officials want to sign off on, Indian and Australian players would be free to mingle in a “Cricket Hotel” in Brisbane because they will also be in contact with each other during the match and would not be locked in their individual rooms.

In another apparent breakthrough, cricket sources said Queensland would not force Australian cricketers, coaches and officials to serve out the final six days of their 14-days in quarantine after the Brisbane Test finishes, and would allow them to return home — provided those ports will take them.

Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds were at the centre of the infamous ‘Monkeygate’ scandal that threatened to derail India’s 2008 tour of Australia.

India are allowed to fly home as soon as the series is finished.

Australia has booked out an entire Brisbane hotel, which should mean players can roam around and enjoy pools and other outdoor facilities.

Queensland categorically ruled out any chance it would soften its stance on quarantine for players, but it is hoped the source of frustration coming out of the Indian camp was based on their understanding players would be confined to their rooms again — as they were when they first came into the country.

Matthew Wade denied that Australian players were also frustrated about having to quarantine in Queensland to finish the series, but admitted it would be a massive advantage to India if the Gabba Test was cancelled and the last two Tests were at the spin friendly SCG.

“Yeah it could (change the shape of the series). Our record is very good there and we tend to play good cricket there,” said Wade.

“We would love to play at the Gabba. If it went two games back-to-back at the SCG, it would obviously not be something that we’d want to do.

“There’s no secrets. We love the Gabba and we want to get there.”

OPINION: IS INDIA A LAW UNTO ITSELF?

– Ben Horne

Cricket officials were on Sunday night unsure how the five Indian superstars under investigation for breaching bubble protocols will be accommodated for a charter flight to Sydney on Monday.

After being isolated from their teammates as a precaution, the big-name players have been ordered to train and travel in isolation until further notice.

There was an expectation that the players would still be able to board the flight, but may be forced to sit separately on the plane.

Under the policy Australia has been abiding by all summer, players have to isolate for three days before rejoining a bubble environment – and that’s even without a breach.

If those rules were enforced on India, it’s hard to see how key Indian stars including Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill should be allowed to travel on a jet carrying both teams to Sydney.

But the big question is, how much do these rules apply to India?

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The photos sparked investigations into whether there had been a COVID breach. Pictures: Navaldeep Singh/Twitter

Five Indian players were spotted eating out by a fan.

There is no doubt that the ‘Secret Kitchen’ Chinese restaurant drama is at most a minor breach of the protocols and hardly crime of the century type stuff.

However, the most revealing aspect of it is Cricket Australia are powerless to punish their guests for breaching the protocols agreed to with Governments to keep the series alive.

This is not CA’s fault – and is the nature of bilateral series – but it’s a worrying hole in the policy that has not been laid bare until now.

Just as it was up to the BCCI to decide whether or not to punish the five stars for appearing to eat lunch at an indoor restaurant at the Chadstone Shopping Centre in Melbourne, it will be up to India to determine whether they can catch the same flight as both squads as normal.

For the most part India have been extremely generous in making enormous sacrifices to come to Australia in the middle of the pandemic, and deserve great credit and gratitude for that.

But it would send a poor message if the BCCI doesn’t punish their stars for breaching the protocols, because ultimately it’s team India who could potentially be the biggest victims.

India's Rohit Sharma (right) chats with team coach Ravi Shastri during a training session at the MCG on Saturday ahead of the Third Test in Sydney on January 7. Picture: William West/AFP

If the Secret Kitchen or Chadstone Shopping Centre itself was suddenly declared a hot spot, India would instantly lose four of their starting XI for the third Test, as well as one of the backups.

Rohit, Pant, Gill and fast bowler Navdeep Saini are all set to play at the SCG, and while their alleged breach seems innocent, it had the potential to seriously hurt team India in a series they’re locked at 1-1 in and every chance of stealing.

Cricket Australia came down hard on Chris Lynn and the Brisbane Heat for his breach, but it’s a lot easier when you’re paying their wages.

It’s different for the grade three teacher to tell the class next door to stop being rowdy when that is someone else’s responsibility.

Reports in India, quoting BCCI sources, were painting the Australian media as the bad guys for breaking the story – but the protocols weren’t in place to rob players of their freedoms but to keep the series alive in a clearly volatile environment.

Cricket Australia’s biosecurity police will be hoping no Indian stars go looking for a Chinese feed in Sydney, because there’s not much that can be done about it if they do.