Rishabh Pant tests positive for Covid-19 ahead of England-India Test series
Rishabh Pant averages 43.84 across his 21 Test caps, hitting three centuries and six fifties; he scored his maiden Test ton at The Oval on India's last tour of England in 2018, and his third came in Ahmedabad in March, also against Joe Root's side
Thursday 15 July 2021 17:17, UK
Rishabh Pant has tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of India's five-match Test series against England that begins on August 4, the Board of Control for Cricket India has confirmed.
Pant is part of the India touring party currently in England and has been placed in quarantine while the rest of the squad assemble in Durham ahead of their warm-up match next week.
The BCCI have confirmed reports that Pant is in isolation for the past eight days and is asymptomatic and that net bowler Dayanand Garani has also tested positive for COVID-19.
A statement said that bowling coach B. Arun, Wriddhiman Saha and Abhimanyu Easwaran have been identified as close contacts of Garani, who tested positive on July 14, by the BCCI medical team and will also isolate for 10 days.
England had their own issues with Covid-19 recently, having to field an entirely new ODI side against Pakistan after three players and four support staff tested positive. They won the series 3-0 with a new-look squad.
India's players have been in England since losing the World Test Championship final against New Zealand last month. Pant has been seen attending England's Euro 2020 game against Germany at Wembley since, posting pictures on his social media accounts.
Pant averages 43.84 across his 21 Test caps, hitting three centuries and six fifties. He scored his maiden Test ton at The Oval on India's last tour of England in 2018, and his third came in Ahmedabad in March, also against Joe Root's side
The rest of India's squad now prepare for a three-day game, to be played behind closed doors, against a County Select XI from Tuesday as their preparations ramp up prior to the start of the Test series.
