Indian Head Coach Ravi Shastri’s lateral flow test comes positive; kept in isolation alongside 3 support staff

Ravi Shastri, the head coach of the Indian cricket team has been tested positive for Covid-19 during the fourth Test between India and England at The Oval. On the fourth day of the match on Sunday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the news. However, three more members of the coaching staff of the Indian team were not tested positive but had been sent to isolation from the team as they came in contact with Shastri.

According to the BCCI, Shastri’s report came positive in the lateral flow test at the end of the third day of the match on Saturday. Three more support staff have also moved to isolation alongside him. They are Bharat Arun, physiotherapist Nitin Patel, and fielding coach Ramakrishnan Sridhar. Everyone was tested for RT-PCR yesterday, and the result of the tests will decide the next step.

Despite the Indian team coach being infected by Covid-19, the fourth day’s game has started on time. The rest of the team came in negative in two lateral flow tests. Everyone has been tested once more before the game started on the morning of the fourth day. As a result, there was no obstacle for them to play. However, it is not yet known how Shastri got infected by Covid-19.

This is not the first time the Indian team member has been infected by Covid-19 in recent times. During the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka, Krunal Pandya tested positive for Covid-19, 8 other members of the contingent who had close contact with him had to go into isolation. As a result, the series was delayed by a day. Besides, the first-choice Test wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, and two more Indian players Yuzvendra Chahal and K Gowtham also tested positive for Covid-19 in recent times.

India has been touring England since June. They are playing a five-match Test series against England after the final of the World Test Championship against New Zealand in June. The 5-match series is now at balance with both sides winning 1 match each. In this series, the spectators are watching the game from the stands.

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