England vs India fifth Test cancelled due to Covid-19 concerns

The blockbuster series between England and India has ended prematurely after the final match was cancelled at the last minute.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 10: A general view of the ground before day one of the Fifth Test Match between England and India at Emirates Old Trafford on September 10, 2021 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

The fifth Test between England and India in Manchester has been cancelled just hours before it was set to get underway.

The final match between the two cricketing heavyweights had been thrown into doubt after several members of India’s off-field staff tested positive to Covid-19 in recent days.

Watch Live Coverage of the 21/22 Marsh One-Day Cup Live & Free on Kayo Freebies. No Credit Card. No Brainer. Join Now

India’s head coach Ravi Shastri contracted Covid-19 during the fourth Test last week, forcing him to isolate in a London hotel along with three other members of India’s support staff.

It had been thought the match would go head or just be delayed for a couple of days.

But the England Cricket Board and the BCCI held crisis talks on the eve of the fifth Test, and it’s believed some members of the Indian team expressed reservations about playing the match.

The fate of the game appeared to be in the balance after assistant physiotherapist Yogesh Parmar, who had been in close contact with injured India players, tested positive.

The fifth Test at Old Trafford will not be played. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)

And just hours before the first ball was due to be bowled, the ECB confirmed the fifth Test had been “cancelled”.

“Following ongoing conversations with the BCCI, the ECB can confirm that the fifth LV= Insurance Test between England and India Men due to start today at Emirates Old Trafford, will be cancelled,” it said in a statement.

“Due to fears of a further increase in the number of Covid cases inside the camp, India are regrettably unable to field a team.

The statement originally read: “and (India) will instead regrettably forfeit the match.”

“We send our sincere apologies to fans and partners for this news, which we know will cause immense disappointment and inconvenience to many.

“Further information will be shared in due course.”

That altered statement sparked frenzied debate about whether the match was just cancelled, or if India had forfeited the match.

If India’s decision not to play the match was ruled as a forfeit, England would have been handed a hollow victory and the series would have been levelled at 2-2.

However, it appears the match has simply been cancelled, meaning India officially wins the series 2-1.

The biggest story now is whether this Test is "cancelled" or "forfeited".

They're having an arm wrestle in the boardroom rnow, I'm told. #ENGvIND

— Isabelle Westbury (@izzywestbury) September 10, 2021

This is such a shame - as it’s been a wonderful series ! https://t.co/tPPrAJXCoT

— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) September 10, 2021

It is a terrble outcome for England, who now become the first English team since 1986 to lose two home Test series in the same summer.

“It’s an evolving situation; it’s a mess,” former England captain Nasser Hussain said on Sky Sports.

“There’s still a bit of debate about the actual result — that hasn’t been clarified.

The ECB will work that out with the BCCI and the ICC in time. There’s been no forfeiture.”

“I don’t think forfeiture will be the end result, for sure,” fellow ex-England skipper Mike Atherton added.

With the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) set to resume next week, there were fears players from both England and India’s Test teams would be ruled out of they tested positive to Covid-19 if an outbreak occurred at Old Trafford.