COVID-19: Team India support staff Dayananda tests positive, Saha to isolate as close contact

In what comes as a blow to the Indian team in UK, support staff Dayananda Garani has tested positive for COVID-19 and this will also see senior player Wriddhiman Saha being forced to isolate as a close contact as per the protocols. Wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant is already down with the virus and will have to test negative on Sunday to be able to leave quarantine and join the team.

By Baidurjo Bhose

In what comes as a blow to the Indian team in UK, support staff Dayananda Garani has tested positive for COVID-19 and this will also see senior player Wriddhiman Saha being forced to isolate as a close contact as per the protocols. Wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant is already down with the virus and will have to test negative on Sunday to be able to leave quarantine and join the team. Speaking to ANI, sources in the know of developments said: "Yes Dayananda has tested positive, but luckily he wasn't around too many members of the team. Saha unfortunately will have to isolate as he was a close contact. Hopefully, he returns negative tests too as Rishabh is also currently down and a subsequent test will give more clarity."

Bowling coach Bharat Arun is also isolating as a close contact. The spread of COVID-19 wasn't restricted to just the England team in the recent past, even the Indian cricketers have been affected by the virus in the UK. The Indian team will play a warm-up game from July 20 to 22 against a County Championship XI team that is being arranged by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) after a request from the Board of Control for Cricket in India. With the team wanting to test themselves in a practice game rather than two intra-squad games before the series gets underway, the BCCI spoke to the ECB and the same has been worked out. While speaking to the media in the virtual press conference at the end of the World Test Championship final against New Zealand, skipper Virat Kohli had said his side wanted first-class games ahead of the series against England, but they had not been given that. Earlier, three England players and four members of their coaching staff tested positive for Covid-19. This forced the ECB to pick a second-string side for the ODI series against Pakistan. (ANI)