NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah has backed the request of the team management and Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar will join the Indian contingent in England for the five-match Test series. This after there were doubts on whether there will be a change of plan with the duo being isolated as close contacts of Krunal Pandya in Colombo ahead of the second T20I in the Island Nation.
Speaking to ANI, sources in the know of developments said the board officials discussed the situation after Suryakumar and Shaw had to be isolated ahead of the second T20I against Sri Lanka, but the board secretary backed the call from skipper Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri to send the duo to UK for the Test series.
"There were discussions if there needs to be a change in plan after the duo had to be isolated as close contacts of Krunal Pandya. But with the reports coming in negative for COVID-19, the secretary felt it was best to back the request of the team management and send them to UK," the source said.
The BCCI had on July 26 informed that the All-India Senior Selection Committee had named Prithvi and Suryakumar as replacements for the upcoming Test series against England as all-rounder Washington Sundar, batsman Shubman Gill and pacer Avesh Khan have been ruled out of the tour due to injuries.
As per the release, Sundar had taken an injection on his right-hand bowling finger during the three-day practice game against County Select XI. However, his recovery will take longer than expected and he is not bowling-fit. As a result, the spinner had been ruled out of the remainder of the England tour.
Fast bowler Avesh Khan suffered a blow to his left thumb on Day 1 of the warm-up game. He was taken for an X-Ray and the result confirmed a fracture. A specialist was consulted for further management of his injury. He was also ruled out of India's Tour of England. Opening batsman Shubman Gill had sustained a developing stress reaction on his left lower leg (shin) during the World Test Championship final and he was also ruled out.
The Test series between India and England commences on August 4 at Trent Bridge.
The Indian limited overs side led by Shikhar Dhawan reached Bengaluru on Friday evening from Sri Lanka where three members of the squad -- Krishnappa Gowtham, Yuzvendra Chahal and Krunal Pandya were forced to stay back after testing positive for COVID-19.
Gowtham and Chahal were already among the eight isolated cricketers but on Friday, their pre-departure RT-PCR reports came positive and they had to be put in mandatory isolation as per health protocols of the country.
A BCCI official had earlier in the day said that the squad has left from Colombo but is still waiting at the airport after the fresh cases came to light and is expected to leave later in the day.
"Yuzi and Gowtham have tested positive as the team was supposed to return by a charter flight to Bengaluru sans Krunal Pandya.
But now as per rules, Gowtham and Yuzi will also have to be in seven-day isolation in Sri Lanka.
The contingent has reached Bengaluru," a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
"They will take connecting flights to their respective cities from Bengaluru as they get a much required break after more than six weeks inside the bio-bubble in Mumbai and Colombo," the source added.
It is expected that Krunal, if he returns with two negative RT-PCR reports, will be able to travel back sometime during middle of next week.
Every member before boarding a return flight was supposed to undergo an RT-PCR test and there Gowtham and Chahal, deemed as close contacts of Krunal, have been found positive.
Six others -- Hardik Pandya, Manish Pandey, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Prithvi Shaw and Deepak Chahar -- are free to depart the country.
All the nine players were together after the first game and then on July 27th, the day of the second T20 International, Krunal had a sore throat and showed symptoms after which he was tested and found to be COVID-19 positive.
The second T20 International had to be postponed by a day and the eight close contacts were also not allowed to take the field.
It was learnt that BCCI secretary Jay Shah took special initiative to ensure that all players are in isolation despite testing negative.
The decision proved to be a prudent one as even though Gowtham and Chahal had tested negative on Tuesday, they have now subsequently been found positive.
Most of the players have had at least one shot of vaccination.
Surya, Shaw to link up with team in Nottingham
Meanwhile, Shaw and Surya are supposed to fly to the United Kingdom where they will join the Test squad as replacement players after Avesh Khan and Washington Sundar got injured.
It is understood that both players will do their hard (room) quarantine in Nottingham itself.
The Indian team on Friday had their final training session at the Chester-Lee Street ground in Durham, which was their training cum warm-up match base for the last 2 weeks.
The team will have a bubble to bubble transfer from Durham to Nottingham.
India's squad: Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (Captain), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prithvi Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav.
Standby players: Prasidh Krishna, Arzan Nagwaswalla.
(With PTI Inputs)