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India vs England 5th Test: Ben Foakes tests positive for Covid-19, English stumper doubtful for Edgbaston Test

India vs England 5th Test: England Test wicketkeeper Ben Foakes on Sunday has tested positive for COVID-19, leaving his chances of playing in the fifth Test against India starting at Edgbaston on July 1 in jeopardy.

Ben Foakes (Pic: ECB)

London, June 26: England Test wicketkeeper Ben Foakes on Sunday (June 26) has tested positive for COVID-19, leaving his chances of playing in the fifth Test against India starting at Edgbaston on July 1 in jeopardy.

Foakes was unable to keep wicket on Saturday (June 25) on day three of the third Test at Headingley against New Zealand suffering from back stiffness.

On a further medical assessment on Saturday evening, he subsequently tested positive after administering an LFT COVID-19 test.

Details of his return to the England set-up will be announced in due course. However, it is hoped he will be fit for the 5th Test against India starting next Friday at Edgbaston.

Kent wicketkeeper/batter Sam Billings, subject to ICC approval, has been drafted in as a like-for-like COVID replacement and will go straight into the XI when the 4th day gets underway at the Headingley on Sunday. Billings will keep wicket.

The rest of the England party follows health protocols of symptom reporting and subsequent testing if required. There are no other positive cases in the camp.

Rohit Covid positive

On the other hand, India captain Rohit Sharma has tested COVID-19 positive following a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) conducted on Saturday night (June 25).

Rohit, who was playing in India's ongoing four-day warm-up game against Leicestershire, has gone into immediate quarantine and will not take part in the fourth day proceedings of the match.

Rohit Sharma

The fifth Test between India and England is scheduled for a July 1 start at Edgbaston, Birmingham, and it remains to be seen whether he can recover in time for that game.

“TeamIndia Captain Rohit Sharma has tested positive for COVID-19 following a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) conducted on Saturday. He is currently in isolation at the team hotel and is under the care of the BCCI Medical Team," said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in a release.

Subject to recovery, Rohit is set to lead the team against England in the postponed fifth Test match starting July 1 in Edgbaston. India leads the series 2-1.

The rescheduled match is a part of last year's five-match Test series that had to be delayed after the fourth Test due to a Covid-19 outbreak in the Indian camp.

The warm-up fixture will be an opportunity for the Men in Blue to get into cement themselves in the new condition after a long time for the all-important fifth Test.

Recently, Rohit Sharma completed his 15 years in international cricket for India. He made his ODI debut for the national side on this day in 2007 against Ireland in Belfast.

He took to social media to share a heartwarming message on completing 15 years in international cricket.

"Hello everyone, Today I will be completing 15 years of international cricket since I made my debut for India. What a journey it has been, surely one that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

“I just want to thank everyone who has been a part of this journey and a special thanks to the people who helped me become the player that I am today. To all the cricket lovers, fans and critics your love and support for the team is what gets us over those hurdles we all inevitably come across. Thanking you, RS," said the star Indian batter in his message.

Story first published: Sunday, June 26, 2022, 14:26 [IST]
Other articles published on Jun 26, 2022