Team India, support staff negative in latest COVID-19 tests: BCCI

Melbourne: The Indian cricket team and its support staff have returned negative in the latest COVID-19 tests conducted here ahead of the third Test against Australia in Sydney, the BCCI said on Monday.

The match is due to start on January 7.

“Playing members of the Indian Cricket Team and support staff underwent an RT-PCR Test for COVID-19 on January 3, 2021. All tests have returned negative results,” the BCCI said in a short statement.

The statement comes a couple of days after five Indian players — vice-captain Rohit Sharma, opener Shubman Gill, stumper Rishabh Pant, pacer Navdeep Saini and batsman Prithvi Shaw — were placed in isolation when a video of them at an indoor restaurant was posted by a fan on Twitter.

Cricket Australia had announced that a joint investigation with the BCCI was on to determine whether it amounted to a breach of bio-security protocol for the series.

The five were, however, allowed to train and travel with the team for the match in Sydney.

The series is currently locked 1-1 after India fought back for an eight-wicket triumph in the Melbourne Test following a humiliating loss in the opener in Adelaide.