The World Test Championship (WTC) final is all set to take place next month. The preparations have already begun. While New Zealand will be playing a series against England before the WTC final, India will first play the WTC against New Zealand and then play a Test series against England. India were initially going to head to England after the IPL-2021 got over, but as the IPL-2021 has been indefinitely postponed, they shall now get a break before they go to England and participate in the English summer. India announced their squad for the WTC final yesterday and very few people questioned the players who were selected in the squad.
India shall begin their preparations for their long tour in England with an eight-day bio-bubble beginning in India on May 25. The team will then quarantine themselves for a further ten days on arrival to the UK on June 2. A BCCI official spoke to ANI and this is what he had to say:
” You can expect the boys to come into the bubble on May 25, as it will be an 8-day quarantine period which will not involve just testing against COVID-19, but also there will not be any movement as the boys prepare for the UK schedule. Once in the UK on June 2, the boys will go for another 10-day quarantine. But this time the cricketers can train, as they’ll be moving in a charter plane from a bubble in India to a bubble in England. A bubble-to-bubble move lets them train even though there will be continuous testing at all times and no further movement,” said the official. The BCCI official continued by saying “Not just the duration of the tour, the COVID-19 restrictions also mean you cannot move around the place. There will be more than a month’s gap between the Test Championship Final and the opening Test against England at Trent Bridge from August 4. The players will have their families travelling with them,”. The Indian team will stay back in England to get accustomed to the conditions. The BCCI official confirmed that players would be allowed to travel with their families for the long tour.
“The Indian government has opened vaccination for every person above 18, so the players can take their first dose. But the second dose is the question here. The BCCI is looking at working closely with the England and Wales Cricket Board to ensure players can get a second dose in the UK. If that is not approved by the UK government, we will have the vaccine taken from India for the second dose. Let’s see how that works out in the coming days,” the official stated. The second wave of COVID-19 has taken India by storm and it has lead to an absolute chaos in the nation. IPL-2021 might just be a blessing in disguise for the Indian team as it gives them the luxury to take a break, get their game together and stay fresh for the finals. It is all set to be a cracker of a contest as both teams have been in superb form of late and both would love to they their hands on the trophy.