England v India 5th test

[Local cricketer]

Woke up early all excited then remembered it’s tomorrow I’m going.

Game is on after a covid scare and India’s desperation to get out for the ipl. Buttler and Wood likely to play with the Indians resting Bumrah and Jadeja by the sounds of it.

Anyone going today have a belting day

[Burnley1989]

Will be a wash out I fear

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

Few rumours day 1 to be postponed as Indian team don’t want to play over Covid fears.

[Longsidelenny1882]

Thinking of going Monday can you pay on the day if it last that long upthecolne

[ChrisG]

Currently very overcast, and it's been raining all night, but it's reasonably warm here. I'm about 4 miles away from the ground.

Cracking conditions for JM Anderson to have a bowl!

[Local cricketer]

Don’t think anyone will be bowling sadly. Ridiculous that a test match could be cancelled to protect the ipl

[Newcastleclaret93]

Surely India have to forfeit the match?

[ClaretTony]

Just been called off.

[Flixton Claret]

What part of Mancunia is that ChrisG?
I’m there Sunday which looks much drier - as does Saturday!

[Spijed]

Few rumours day 1 to be postponed as Indian team don’t want to play over Covid fears.

Leading 2-1 in the series might help in that respect.

[taio]

Leading 2-1 in the series might help in that respect.

Why? Suspect it will end up 2-2.

[kentonclaret]

Match forfeited so 2-2 although no India players recorded a positive Covid result from the latest round of testing.

Shame, it was turning out to be one of the better Test Series.

[dandeclaret]

An absolute shambles.

[Longsidelenny1882]

Must be serious to cancel the game a lot of money gone down the drain tickets hotels transport food etc upthecolne

[nil_desperandum]

Must be serious to cancel the game a lot of money gone down the drain tickets hotels transport food etc upthecolne

None of the players are positive according to reports.
Hotel facilities on site for players if they really wanted to "isolate" and play.
Anyway - this was England's best chance of saving the series.
Pity for those of us who were going on Monday though.

[ChrisG]

What part of Mancunia is that ChrisG?
I’m there Sunday which looks much drier - as does Saturday!

Timperley, not far from you!

[Targetman]

ECB amended their original statement and are now quoting India as saying they can't raise a team.

According to the BBC website some of India's backroom staff have tested positive, it says their players were all clear on the last round of testing.
It all sounds a bit strange?

[buzzclarets79]

Gutted as had tickets for the 1st day for last years test at OT which they moved to this test so technically that’s two tests missed due to COVID.

Was just walking out the door to catch the bus… gutted.

[tiger76]

Aggers seems to think the IPL is the main reason for this call-off, and I don't wish to be cynical, but I'm inclined to agree with him.

BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew

This is quite bizarre because last night the players all passed their PCR tests. We went to bed thinking the match would go ahead.

I suspect the IPL would have a lot to do with this. It starts in 10 days' time. The players are on huge contacts. The IPL is worth £300m to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

They are desperate to protect their product and the players protect their contracts. This stands to cost the ECB £20m, one assumes there would be some negotiations about that with the BCCI.

[Spijed]

ECB amended their original statement and are now quoting India as saying they can't raise a team.

According to the BBC website some of India's backroom staff have tested positive, it says their players were all clear on the last round of testing.
It all sounds a bit strange?

From the BBC:

The ECB statement initially said that India, who led the series 2-1, had forfeited the final Test and the series was drawn 2-2. The statement has since been amended to say: "India are regrettably unable to field a team."

The final result is unclear.

[The Enclosure]

Damn was really looking forward to going on Sunday...Consolation I can go and watch Burnley try and win the league on Sunday instead.
The IPL will have had a big say in this..money talks.

[Rileybobs]

Got to hand it to England for rescuing the series when under pressure.

[CaptainKirk]

Am I reading this right?
They backed out of the Test because they have a better offer waiting in the IPL?
Should they not be thrown out of International cricket?
Oh no, let's pretend they couldn't raise a team so we don't have to do anything about it.
I may be wrong as I know nothing about cricket, although I can't imagine an England team doing this.

[Quickenthetempo]

Am I reading this right?
They backed out of the Test because they have a better offer waiting in the IPL?
Should they not be thrown out of International cricket?
Oh no, let's pretend they couldn't raise a team so we don't have to do anything about it.
I may be wrong as I know nothing about cricket, although I can't imagine an England team doing this.

Unfortunately Indian cricket is a powerhouse in cricket and their IPL earns them billions. An away Test not so much.

[TheFamilyCat]

Am I reading this right?
They backed out of the Test because they have a better offer waiting in the IPL?
Should they not be thrown out of International cricket?
Oh no, let's pretend they couldn't raise a team so we don't have to do anything about it.
I may be wrong as I know nothing about cricket, although I can't imagine an England team doing this.

You are read that but you should be cautious of treating every opinion you read as fact.

[Spijed]

Similar happened in the Rugby League World cup. The Aussies gave the excuse that the UK was unsafe for the players, whereas in reality it was all down to money.

[JarrowClaret]

We did the same to South Africa part of the landscape now unfortunately.

[joey13]

Similar happened in the Rugby League World cup. The Aussies gave the excuse that the UK was unsafe for the players, whereas in reality it was all down to money.

The UK is unsafe , have you checked the cases lately

[JarrowClaret]

Amount of cases doesn’t make the UK unsafe as such as long as you are vaccinated, if you aren’t vaccinated then I would whole heartedly agree it is probably unsafe.

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

Pubs in Manchester City centre at least getting lots of bonus money. Absolutely pathetic from India.

[Silkyskills1]

Pubs in Manchester City centre at least getting lots of bonus money. Absolutely pathetic from India.

I'm there later. Perhaps might see you there.

[Local cricketer]

Well at least we will be fresh for the main event down at the boohoo on Sunday

[Quickenthetempo]

Cask Ale, a pound a pint at the ground until 2pm, I've been told.

[tiger76]

Not great news for Lancashire this cancellation either, it'll hit them hard in the pocket as well as the ECB.

[CleggHall]

A shabby decision and outcome however you slice it.
Better to play Test cricket in summer not mid-Sept but the Hundred was too important to allow this.

[BigF]

The UK is unsafe , have you checked the cases lately

But is India any safer? Bet the players will be happy to play there in the IPL

[bfcbri]

It isn't being played in India because of Covid it has moved to the UAE

[Buxtonclaret]

Something really stinks here.
Proper Test crickets getting increasingly marginalised.
Like footy has become, it's all about money. India &"the IPL have it all and, any way they want.
Had been really looking forward to the next couple of days.
I'd even bought a new waterproof....

[tiger76]

A shabby decision and outcome however you slice it.
Better to play Test cricket in summer not mid-Sept but the Hundred was too important to allow this.

Yes I do wonder if this farce will mark the beginning of the end for test cricket, already it's seen by some as a nuisance, and many clubs and now seemingly countries value the white ball formats way higher than the traditional form of the game, as someone who relishes the ebb and flow of a 5 day match, as we've seen a couple of times in this series, it'll be a sad day when and if that comes to pass, but TBH I'll be surprised if test cricket is still going in 10 years, all the investment and media interest is focussed on the shorter forms, whether that be 50 overs, T20, or now The Hundred, and for a lot of the younger generation the 5 day game is now seen as the poor relation I'm afraid.

[JohnDearyMe]

Yes I do wonder if this farce will mark the beginning of the end for test cricket, already it's seen by some as a nuisance, and many clubs and now seemingly countries value the white ball formats way higher than the traditional form of the game, as someone who relishes the ebb and flow of a 5 day match, as we've seen a couple of times in this series, it'll be a sad day when and if that comes to pass, but TBH I'll be surprised if test cricket is still going in 10 years, all the investment and media interest is focussed on the shorter forms, whether that be 50 overs, T20, or now The Hundred, and for a lot of the younger generation the 5 day game is now seen as the poor relation I'm afraid.

Such a shame as it has been an exciting series too

[Burnley1989]

Yes I do wonder if this farce will mark the beginning of the end for test cricket, already it's seen by some as a nuisance, and many clubs and now seemingly countries value the white ball formats way higher than the traditional form of the game, as someone who relishes the ebb and flow of a 5 day match, as we've seen a couple of times in this series, it'll be a sad day when and if that comes to pass, but TBH I'll be surprised if test cricket is still going in 10 years, all the investment and media interest is focussed on the shorter forms, whether that be 50 overs, T20, or now The Hundred, and for a lot of the younger generation the 5 day game is now seen as the poor relation I'm afraid.

I agree, it’s the mentality of folk these days, they want instant results and success… no such thing as grinding out a win over 5 days or having a career plan, it’s all about instant results.

I love all formats, T20 the least and I’m 32… I do really enjoy a good one dayer, but test cricket all day long for me

[tiger76]

I agree, it’s the mentality of folk these days, they want instant results and success… no such thing as grinding out a win over 5 days or having a career plan, it’s all about instant results.

I love all formats, T20 the least and I’m 32… I do really enjoy a good one dayer, but test cricket all day long for me

Yes maybe it's a generational thing, but I was brought up at the time when every home England test was broadcast on the BBC, and a 5 or even 6 match test series against the touring teams was the real highlight of your summer, and in these days you'd have say Australia or the West Indies arriving in late April/early May, and playing several matches against various counties, usually the reigning county champions, but also a few other games between tests, so even if you couldn't get to a test match, then you could still enjoy the likes of Viv Richards showcasing his talents at the smaller venues, and this also allowed the visiting side to properly acclimatise to the conditions, whereas now most test sides fly in, play at most one warm-up match, normally against fairly moderate opposition, and they are then expected to face Jimmy at Edgbaston, or Cummins at Sydney, and this probably explains why there's very few away sides that win a test series these days.

What excites me about the 1st morning of a test is the unpredictability, who would have imagined India would be rolled over for 78 at Headingly when they choose to bat, or Ireland skittling England for 85 at Lords a couple of years ago, and yet England comfortably winning the game in the end.

The one day stuff is fine to an extent, but it's relatively straightforward to analyse, and you know prior to the 1st ball that a given side will bat for a set period, before their opponents do the same, and you generally get a fair idea of how it'll finish quite early in the match, with a test match there's always that element of doubt for the whole 5 days, and generally no 2 days are the same, one day could see a clatter of wickets, or huge runs scored, the following day can easily see fortunes reversed, and that for me is what makes the 5 day game intriguing to follow.

[Longsidelenny1882]

Very good post tiger upthecolne

[Local cricketer]

And now the mental health card is been played. The ECB have rolled over and let the BCCi tickle their bellies

[tiger76]

Interesting development Biarstow, Malan & Woakes have withdrawn from the IPLhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/58529148