Why India vs England Test match suspended today: The match was due to be played at Old Trafford in Manchester last year.
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Birmingham’s Edgbaston Stadium is hosting the rescheduled 5th test between England and India. This series is getting continued from the last year, as the last match scheduled was postponed indefinitely.
England won the toss, and Ben Stokes opted to field first on a track that will assist the pacers. The decision went right as well when James Anderson took both openers of India, and then Matty Potts also assisted him.
Why India vs England Test match suspended today:
The 5th test between India and England at the Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham got halted because of the rain. The rain forced the umpires to take early lunch, but the rain took a little time to stop. However, due to the great drainage of the ground, the ground was made ready in no time after the rain stopped.
The forecast for the rest of the day is not great as well, and it can interfere with the proceedings in between. On Day 1, a total of 84 overs will be bowled, and the second session will be around a couple of hours. The play has been extended till 11.30 PM IST.
This test was originally set to be played last year at the Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester, but it was postponed indefinitely on the match day. The players of the Indian team were quite hesitant in playing the match due to a Covid outbreak in the Indian camp.
🇮🇳’s head coach Ravi Shastri has tested positive for Covid-19, and is currently under isolation along with 3 members of the support staff.
Wishing him a speedy recovery! 🙏🏻#SaddaPunjab #IPL2021 #PunjabKings pic.twitter.com/WIZhcsFRjJ
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) September 5, 2021
Ravi Shastri, along with Bharat Arun and R Sridhar was under isolation, whereas physio Nitin Patel also tested Covid positive. A lot of important Indian players were deemed as their close contacts, and the players did not find it safe for their families to stay in that environment.
The second phase of IPL 2021 was also due to start after nine days, and it is also seen as a major reason for the same. However, ECB clearly mentioned that the match cannot be forfeited, and it was then postponed to July 2022. Manchester’s Old Trafford could not host the game due to postponement with other events.