Australia v India Test series: Indians return negative COVID test results after apparent breach

The Indian players caught in an apparent bubble breach have received their test results, as it was revealed a juice kiosk nearby employed a COVID positive worker.

Indian players at a dinner which was paid for by a fan.

India’s players and coaches have all returned negative COVID-19 tests, but it has emerged that last week’s biosecurity bubble breach occurred near a Boost Juice kiosk that has been closed for deep cleaning after an employee contracted coronavirus.

While the five Indians who dined at Secret Kitchen Noodles and BBQ restaurant are at no risk of infection from the Boost employee, the short walk between the merchants at Chadstone Shopping Centre serves as a timely reminder of how critical Cricket Australia’s biosecurity rules are to preserving the Test series.

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Bc mere saamne waale table par gill pant sharma saini fuckkkkkk pic.twitter.com/yQUvdu3shF

— Navaldeep Singh (@NavalGeekSingh) January 1, 2021

They are not aware but i have paid there table bill :) . Least i can do for my superstars 🤗 pic.twitter.com/roZgQyNBDX

— Navaldeep Singh (@NavalGeekSingh) January 1, 2021

Every member of the Australian and Indian camps was tested on Sunday, and they have all returned negative results.

They are due to share a chartered flight from Melbourne to Sydney on Monday.

But if the Indians are tempted to break the biosecurity protocols again this series then the potentially close call at Chadstone should serve as a sobering wake-up call.

The Boost Juice employee last worked at the kiosk next to the Bonds shop in Chadstone from 6-11pm on Tuesday, December 29.

Rohit Sharma is one of the four Indian players caught up in the drama.

Three days later India’s Vice-captain Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw and Naveep Saini were shouted the $118 feed of Chinese food by a diehard fan in the same indoor shopping centre.

Players are prohibited from dining indoors due to the heightened risk of contracting COVID-19 and the spring rolls, fried rice, soy sauce chicken and diet coke the Indians feasted on occured only a short walk from the Boost kiosk.

“Our team has been notified a person who worked at Boost Juice (outside Bonds) has returned a positive test for COVID-19,” a statement said.

“We are working closely with the team at Boost Juice. Both kiosks at Chadstone are currently closed and a deep clean has been undertaken.

“We’ve also completed a deep clean of our centre, as an additional precaution.”

Earlier: India players in possible bubble breach

— Ben Horne

A diehard fan has inadvertently embroiled India’s cricket superstars in a bio-security drama, after innocently paying for their bill at a Melbourne restaurant.

Footage of Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill and Navdeep Saini dining out was posted on Friday night, as social media widely embraced the generosity of Indian cricket tragic Navaldeep Singh for taking care of a $118 dollar bill for his heroes at Secret Kitchen Chinese restaurant at Chadstone Shopping Centre.

However, the feel-good act of kindness has sparked investigation by cricket’s bio-security police, after Singh innocently told in his narration of the New Year’s Day lunch-time encounter that he was “hugged” by a grateful Pant, after paying for the players’ spring rolls, chicken, mushroom and sausage fried rice, soy sauce chicken and diet coke.

When they got know that i have paid the bill.. Rohit sharma said bhaji pese lelo yaar acha nai lagta.. i said no sir its on me. Pant hugged me and said photo tabhi hogi jab pese loge wapis. I said no bro not happening. Finally sabane photo khichwai :) mja aa gya yaar #blessed

— Navaldeep Singh (@NavalGeekSingh) January 1, 2021

Cricket Australia on Saturday night confirmed an investigation was underway and in the meantime said the players involved have been segregated from the rest of the squad and will have to train and travel separately as a precaution.

It came after Singh took to Twitter again to clarify the encounter and denied the hug with Pant ever took place, in a post where he copied in the BCCI and CA handles.

“Clarification - Pant never hugged me it was all said in excitement we maintained social distance all thru (sic),” wrote Singh.

“Apologies for miscommunication.”

Ultimately it’s a matter for the BCCI, but it’s understood Cricket Australia are also looking at the matter as they set up the bubble rules.

Cricket Australia’s strict bio-security guidelines dictate that players can eat out at restaurants provided they sit only in outdoor areas, however, the brief footage posted by Singh appears to show the cricketers sitting indoors without masks.

Recently, Brisbane Heat stars Chris Lynn and Dan Lawrence were both fined $10,000 each ($4000 suspended) after being busted taking a selfie with a fan in Canberra and hopping in a taxi.

None of the images posted on social media showed the Indians breaching social distancing, with individual photos of a masked Pant and Rohit completely acceptable because they weren’t selfies and appeared outside the restaurant.

Like the Lynn and Lawrence episode, the incident involving some of India’s biggest names appears minor and wouldn’t raise an eyebrow in normal times. However, it may prompt a closer look by rule-makers because it comes as Cricket Australia tries desperately to navigate its way through the remainder of a series that is suddenly being heavily impacted by tightening restrictions and border closures around the country.

Chris Lynn and Dan Lawrence were fined heavily for taking a selfie with a fan.

On several occasions this summer, the strength of Cricket Australia’s bio-security policy has saved the summer, with the protocols convincing the South Australian Government to allow Mitchell Starc to continue playing in the first Test, despite the fact he’d been in the Northern Beaches at the onset of the Sydney outbreak.

Those same protocols also allowed India safe passage from South Australia into Victoria, despite the fact access had been closed by that point to anyone who had been in greater Sydney after December 11.

Cricket Australia was only able to save the Sydney Test at the SCG after week-long talks with the Queensland Government, who have made exceptions to its border closure to Greater Sydney to accommodate the cricketers in a quarantine arrangement for the fourth Test in Brisbane.

Compared to the football codes during the winter, cricket’s bio-security plan has gone off almost without a hitch, with the Lynn and Lawrence incident the only breach so far.

The Brisbane Heat were slapped with a $50,000 fine ($20,000 suspended) as CA looked to send a strong message.

Lynn and Lawrence didn’t miss any matches, but did have to undergo COVID-19 tests and were ordered into different dressing rooms to teammates for their first game back.

But there could be a grey area with the Indian cricket team over who can hold them account for any proven breaches.

Would it be up to the BCCI or Cricket Australia to pull players into line if a breach was proven?

England came down hard on Jofra Archer during the recent home series.

England came down hard on its own star Jofra Archer for breaching protocols in the UK last year, but punishing members of the touring party is a more difficult question.

Although the West Indies had privileges taken off them by the New Zealand Government a few weeks ago when they were caught congregating in hallways of the hotel when they were meant to be in strict quarantine.

The fan’s account of his encounter with the Indian stars paints a nice picture of the team, with Rohit wanting to pay Singh back his money, and Pant thanking the man’s wife on his way out.

Meanwhile, the NSW Labor Party on Saturday called for the Government to ban crowds for the SCG Test, as masks were made mandatory on public transport and at indoor locations.