Farce and Furious!

Virat Kohli

Not only has the cancellation of last week's fifth and final Test between India and England at Old Trafford, Manchester left the English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Lancashire County Cricket Club in a financial mess, the fans too have been left with a huge hole in their pockets.

The fate of the Pataudi Trophy would have been finalised at Manchester. India, who were 2-1 up, had only to draw the final Test to clinch the Test series for the first time since 2007. England, on the other hand, aimed for a win to avoid their third successive Test series loss.

While there were murmurs of the final Test not happening, the match was eventually called off just a couple of hours before play was about to begin on Friday.

Hit in the pocket

Newcastle-based Amit Patel is fuming. "We had booked our accommodation for all five days of the match. My three other friends who travelled from various corners of the country were to share an apartment in Manchester. Since the match was called off just a few hours before the scheduled time, it was too late to cancel; there would be no refund. We were paying 180 pounds for a night," Amit told mid-day on Tuesday, which would have been Day Five of the Test.

Amit Patel with his friends Paresh (top left) and Rakesh (centre) and his family during the Leeds Test

While Amit, unlike his friends, was saved from boarding and lodging expenses in Manchester, he lost close to 200 pounds which he spent on the tickets for the Newcastle to Manchester and back train journey.

"I was at the station, about to board the train when I came to know that the Test has been cancelled. Hence, I was spared the expenses that I would have had to bear if I were in Manchester. But my mates had to suffer a lot," said Amit.

Paresh Patel, who started from London at 5 am on the day of the Test, chose to look at the lighter side of the fiasco. "Yes, it was disappointing that the Test match didn't take place. But since my friends and I had already arrived in Manchester and there was no scope to cancel our accommodation, we preferred to stay back in Manchester and give ourselves a mini-holiday," said Paresh, who witnessed all four Test matches of the series.

Bristol-based Rakesh Patel took three days off for the final Test. "I had a very busy schedule, but I managed to take out time since I watched Team India in action from the World Test Championship final. I have some good friends in the Indian team, so my tickets were sorted at all venues. But yes, as a fan, it was disappointing not to be able to witness the final Test," he said.

When the pre-match media conference was cancelled on the eve of the Test on September 9, it was a clear indication that the match was in jeopardy. The Indian players were apprehensive of playing the final Test after junior physiotherapist Yogesh Parmar tested positive for COVID-19.

Ahead of the fourth Test at The Oval, the Indian coaching support staff - head coach Ravi Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun, fielding coach R Sridhar and physio Nitin Patel - had tested positive for the virus and were promptly isolated from the team.

‘Wrong to blame Team India'

Paresh rallied behind the Indian team like any die-hard fan would do. "It is absolute rubbish that India are blamed for the final Test not happening. Yes, they all tested negative, but we all know how the COVID-19 behaves. What would have happened had any player tested positive for the virus during the Test match because they all were in close contact with the physio. It is also wrong to say that the players ditched the Test match for the IPL. If that would have been the case, India wouldn't be the only nation to play more Test cricket [12 games this year] as compared to ODIs and T20Is in a year.

"It was disappointing that we didn't get to see the conclusion of the Test series that was so well-fought, but it's not right to blame India for the Test match not happening. The virus could have crept into the English camp too when Moeen Ali was allowed to play for Birmingham Bears [in The Hundred] between the second and third Test. Jos Buttler missed the fourth Test to witness the birth of his child, and was allowed back for the fifth Test without any quarantine. So, even the England team bubble was not fully secured," said Paresh, 54.

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