England V India Test Match Series 2021

^^ & not an average medium-pace left-armer, that we continue to pick.

(07-09-2021 20:50 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  I can't see why England would include Buttler in the squad & not play him, he was Root's Vice-captain, but really deserved to be dropped before he missed the last Test on paternity leave. He's average 14 in the series, the same as Sibley who was doing a tough job opening, batting 6 should produce a greater output. Wood must play & Overton has been the least effective bowler. Leach also has to play, despite his lack of cricket, his left-arm spin should be a better option than Ali, whose form is on & off, Root will have to bowl more. my concern would be the overs than Anderson & Robinson have got through in the series, & Woakes bowled a lot of overs after a year away from red-ball cricket. England only have the option of bring back Sam Curran, if any of the other 3 are unfit. I'm surprised that they couldn't come up with another fresh bowling option, but that suggests that they were banking on Mahmood, before he got injured.

Watched Leach play for Somerset last week he was very poor, looked totally out of form, another one England has messed up by not playing him but not letting him go back to his country, he really needs overs, no point in calling up if not to play,
It seams to me the main thing u need to play for England these days is being the captain mate, why the side we always pic is so poor,

The 5th test has been cancelled due to covid.

The latest info is that another member of Team India's support staff tested positive for Covid on Thursday. But all Indian players had returned negative results and it was expected that the match will be held as per the schedule. But now India say that they can't field a team.

The status of the series is unclear, after an initial statement gave mention to a forfeit of this match & therefore the series would be tied 2-2. The ICC are set to clarify the result.

My understanding that the test match is cancelled and not forfeit.

Therefore India would win the series.

It was expected that the test would be pushed back by a couple of days but the Indian players refused the delay because the IPL is due to start.

It has been suggested that India refused a delay because their players have big IPL contracts and it starts in 10 days. The BCCI makes I believe £300m from the IPL so they may have wanted to protect that tournamentt

Latest statement from the BCCI, is that they will be working with the ECB to find a window to re-schedule this cancelled fixture.
That must rule out this year, but India are touring next summer to play 3 ODI's & 3T20I. Not much room to squeeze an extra Test in, with New Zealand playing 3 Tests in June, & South Africa 3 Tests in August. With the India fixtures set for July, it looks like a one-off replacement Test could potentially be played either before the start of the South Africa Tests series, in early August, or in early September after the series. However, this couldn't be played as a decider for this current series.

There's no way this test match will be played due to the crazy cricket schedules. The 20/20 world cup is next followed by the as yet confirmed Ashes.
The cancelled match has to be declared a draw unless medical evidence shows India had 11 players available to be selected which means England lose the series, but I suspect the arguments may already have started.

India have agreed to play one Test match in England in 2022, they have found a place in the schedule, no confirmation on it being a one-off stand alone match, but it is thought likely that it will complete this years series.

England v India 5th Test - Edgbaston July 1 - 5 (10.30am BST)