On September 10, 2021, the fifth Test of the Pataudi Trophy at Old Trafford was called off due to the COVID-19 outbreak in TeamIndia’s camp. In the five-match series, India were ahead with a 2-1 margin
under Virat Kohli’s leadership and in the final Test, they were required a stalemate or victory to win the red-ball series on English soil after 14 years. A day before the Test, several players tested negative but hours prior to the toss, the England and Wales Cricket Board issued a statement that the COVID-19 scare linked to outbreak among supporting staff left India unable to participate in the final Test and they are also ready to forfeit the game.
Earlier, during the fourth Test, the then-India head coach Ravi Shastri tested positive for the virus. On the eve of the fifth Test, fear among India’s camp got consolidated when one of their staff members contracted the virus. An hour and a half ahead of the game, the England and Wales Cricket Board released the statement. As per ECB, the visitors were ready to forfeit the match but BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla said that the side won’t give up the game. ECB also removed the part which mentioned that Virat and his men will forfeit the match.
The fifth Test got rescheduled and was played after nine months
The fifth Test got finally rescheduled and was played after nine months. It was held at Edgbaston and England succeeded in chasing down 378 runs with seven wickets in hand. Jonny Bairstow played a vital role in the victory as he notched up centuries from his bat and became the Player of the Match (POTM) for his stunning batting display.
With this triumph, England thwarted India’s intention to win the Test series against England after 15 years. After a year, when the fifth Test, a lot changed in both teams. Ben Stokes replaced Joe Root as the English side’s skipper while Jasprit Bumrah was India’s stand-in skipper in the absence of Rohit Sharma, who became the regular captain of India. Rahul Dravid and former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum became head coaches of India and England respectively.
