Manchester Test called off hours before it was supposed to begin.
BCCI and ECB will look to find a window to reschedule the Test.
On Thursday, India's physio tested positive for COVID-19 which led to concerns around the welfare of everyone and the fate of the Test.
Before India travelled to Manchester, Ravi Shastri, Bharat Arun and R Sridhar had already tested positive in London.
India led 2-1 before the Old Trafford Test.
India are slated to travel to England for 6 white-ball games in July next year.
Up Next, IPL!
Yes, so that's that for India's tour England, one assumes. Let's hope both teams return negative tests and those who have been affected recover well and quick!
The series stays at 2-1 with a decision awaited on the final Test as both boards look for a window. The Indian team will be back in UK in July in 2022 for a white ball series.
For now, the focus will mostly shift to the IPL as that is the next thing on the agenda for most of the players present at Old Trafford. The IPL's remainder begins on 19 September in UAE and will be followed by the Men's T20 World Cup in UAE in Oman from 17 October.
It's a Mess, Says Nasser Hussain
"While it is an evolving situation, it's a mess. The only thing I can tell you is that the final Test is off. There won't be a Test match here at Old Trafford. There's not one here scheduled for next year for the moment. This Test match is not happening. There is still a debate about who has forfeited and the actual result of the game, that hasn't been clarified yet. The ECB will work that out with India and the ICC in due course. So, there's been no forfeiture. It is just an evolving situation where this Test match has been cancelled and that will be the end of the Indian tour of England," said Hussain while speaking to Sky Sports from Old Trafford Cricket Ground.
Hussain expressed his sympathies with the Indian players after the team's second physiotherapist Yogesh Parmar tested positive for COVID-19. "I have a lot of sympathy with the Indian players. I think its their second physio -- the first physio with Ravi Shastri and rest of the backroom staff -- fifth day at The Oval, they had to isolate after testing positive. The second physio who had been treating all the players. You can imagine fifth Test match. There will be sore bodies, sore bowlers. You cannot do physiotherapy without close contact and without literally being in the faces. So have a lot of sympathy with all those players and even though they have tested negative, a couple of times now the incubation period, two or three days, they will be worried suddenly in the middle of the Test match, they test positive and suddenly three or four players have to go down and then you have COVID-19 subs, etc. It is a mess."
Test Cancelled; Safety First, Say BCCI
"The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) along with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have jointly decided to call off the 5th Test Match scheduled at Manchester in ongoing India’s tour of England 2021.
"The BCCI and ECB held several rounds of discussion to find a way to play the Test Match, however, the outbreak of Covid-19 in the Indian team contingent forced the decision of calling off the Old Trafford Test Match.
"In lieu of the strong relationship between BCCI and ECB, the BCCI has offered to ECB a rescheduling of the cancelled Test match. Both the Boards will work towards finding a window to reschedule this Test match.
"The BCCI has always maintained that the safety and well-being of the players is of paramount importance and there will be no comprise on that aspect," the BCCI statement on Friday afternoon read.
No Forfeit of Test, Say BCCI
"No question of forfeiting 5th Test, negotiations taking place on future course," BCCI VP Shukla was quoted as saying by ANI.
"After wide consultations between BCCI President, BCCI Secretary, Treasurer, me and Joint Secretary, along with ECB Chairman and CEO and in consultations with players, captain, senior players it was decided to call off this Test match which was slated in Manchester," he added.
"Those negotiations are taking place," he said when asked about the future of the Manchester Test match as it is a part of the World Test Championship.