The fifth and final Test between India and England in Manchester has been called off due to COVID-19 fears in the Indian camp on Friday. Although, England Cricket CEO Tom Harrison has said that England cricket and BCCI is trying to find a window to schedule this test match. Harrison made it clear that it would be a one-off game, which means India would be adjudged as winners of the series (2-1). According to the reports, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly is expected to meet Harrison and Ian Whatmore to discuss the modalities of the one-off match next year during a personal visit to the UK from September 22.
The BCCI official statement read, “The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) along with the ECB have jointly decided to call off the 5th Test Match scheduled at Manchester in ongoing India’s tour of England 2021. The BCCI and ECB held several rounds of discussion to find a way to play the Test Match, however, the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Indian team contingent forced the decision of calling off the Old Trafford Test Match. In lieu of the strong relationship between BCCI and ECB, the BCCI has offered to ECB a rescheduling of the canceled Test match. Both the Boards will work towards finding a window to reschedule this Test match.”
3 takeaways for India from the Pataudi Trophy 2021
An unfortunate end to a great series but except for the final match, this series has been very intriguing. Kohli vs Anderson battle, KL Rahul getting back into Test setup and hitting century at Lord’s, Rohit Sharma’s first overseas hundred, Joe Root’s three consecutive hundred, and many more such incredible moments. This series has provided several entertaining moments, with most players finding form and making the most of the opportunity. So, let’s look at the three positives for India from the Pataudi Trophy 2021.
1. Rohit Sharma
One of the biggest positives for India in this series has been Rohit Sharma’s form with the bat. Opening the innings for the first time in England, Rohit scored 368 runs at a sublime average of 52.57. Scoring runs in England is always tough, especially for the openers. With English conditions, pitch, and the Duke’s ball, bowlers always have an edge over batsmen. Rohit showed great restraint and gave India a solid start in almost every game of the series. And with this terrific performance, he also achieved his career-best test rankings. He was also the leading runscorer of India in this series.
2. KL Rahul
Opening the batting, KL Rahul amassed 315 runs in eight innings at an average of 39.37, with one hundred and one fifty. The hundred came in a winning cause at Lord’s, where he smashed 129 off 250 balls including 12 fours and one six. He also became the first Indian after Ajinkya Rahane to register his name on the Lord’s honor board.
His natural game to leave the ball with precision outside the off-stump was excellent in the series. With Rohit, he provided an excellent start to the team by playing out tough passages of play. The best thing about Rahul in this series was that he left the ball well and tried to play the ball late as much as possible. And as coaches and pundits say, When you play in England, try to score more runs through cover and third man region – KL Rahul did exactly the same in this series.
3. Shardul Thakur
One of the biggest positives for Team India from the Test series in England has been the performance of all-rounder Shardul Thakur. He starred with the bat and ball in this series. The 29-year-old smashed 113 runs in three innings, including two crucial fifties in the fourth test at Oval. He also bagged 7 wickets in 2 games at an impressive average of 22 in this series. Although Shardul has played just four test matches, he has displayed a great attitude and shown maturity. Whether his all round performance at Gabba, four wickets in the first Test in Nottingham, or two counter-attacking fifties at Oval, Shardul has made the most of the opportunity whenever he has got the chance to represent the country.