Suryakumar Yadav and Prithvi Shaw have tested negative and are all set to depart to England as a back-up. The Mumbai duo were isolated after Krunal Pandya tested positive of Coronavirus in Sri Lanka and both of them were identified as close contacts. Now both are cleared to fly out of Sri Lanka in next 24 hours.
“They are waiting for their visas. Because of the two holidays (Saturday and Sunday), they could not receive the same through the United Kingdom Embassy office in Sri Lanka. The travel agent has been following up the matter and it is hoped they would leave within 24 hours to join Team India in England", one of the sources told Deccan Chronicle.
The Indian Test squad in England has already seen three of the players being ruled out. While opener Subman Gill withdrew due to leg injury and has since returned home, off-spin bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar has hurt his finger, and pace bowler Avesh Khan, who was among the standby players, has suffered fracture his left thumb. As a result, the selectors have pushed Abhimanyu Easwaran into the main squad and have also called up Shaw and Yadav. The Test series begins on August 4 in Nottingham.
The second Test will be played on August 12-16 at Lord’s, London, the third Test on August 25-29 in Leeds, the fourth Test between September 2 and 6 at the Oval, London, and the fifth and final Test in Manchester from September 10 to 14. The Indian team had lost the World Test Championship final to New Zealand last month.After a three-week break, the Indian players moved to Durham for a warm-up match and training. There are still three Indian cricketers: Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal and Krishnappa Gowtham who are in isolation as they are yet to clear the RT-PCR test after being found positive of Coronavirus. “They are stationed in separate rooms and unlike in India where the Covid patients can mingle among themselves, Sri Lankan law does not permit", one of the sources said exclusively.
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