The fourth Test between Australia and India is in jeopardy amid reports the Indian squad is unwilling to travel to Brisbane, where they might be pushed back into hard lockdown, with their movement severely curtailed.
Cricbuzz has reported that senior Indian sources believe further restrictions would have a negative impact on mentally exhausted players.
In July, the BCCI President Sourav Ganguly said that the team would tour Australia but asked the local board to keep short quarantine periods for players.
“We don’t want the players to go all that far and sit in hotel rooms for two weeks. It is very, very depressing and disappointing,” he had said.
Ganguly’s statement is supported by the report from Cricbuzz, with a source inside the Indian team telling the media house that they are not keen on travelling to Brisbane in the current environment.
“If you look at it, we were quarantined for 14 days in Dubai before landing in Sydney and doing so for another 14 days. That means we were in a hard bubble for nearly a month before coming out. What we don’t want now is to quarantine again at the end of the tour,” the source told Cricbuzz.
“We aren’t keen on going to Brisbane if it means being stuck in the hotel again, except for going to the ground. Instead we don’t mind being in some other city, playing both Test matches there to complete the series and returning home,” he added.
“All we’re saying is the boys have been in various states of lockdowns and bubbles for nearly six months now. And it’s not been easy for anyone. If you look at it, we are one of only two teams who have had zero issues while being on a tour during this pandemic. After all this time, what we don’t want is to be sent into another hard bubble, which seems will be the case in Brisbane.”
As of now, the Ajinkya Rahane-led side is scheduled to travel to Sydney on Monday (January 4), train for two days and then begin the third Test at the SCG on Thursday (January 7).
(With Cricbuzz inputs)
