Cricket: Australia v India Test series thrown into chaos as India resists travel to Brisbane

The Gabba is at risk of losing the fourth round of the series between Australia and India after the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) expressed its reluctance to travel to Brisbane.

Both teams are currently in Melbourne and are expected to travel to Sydney for the New Years tryout on Monday.

The fourth test is scheduled to take place in Gabba starting January 15, but the BCCI has expressed its displeasure at Queensland’s strict quarantine proposals.

Queensland closed its border with New South Wales after a recent spike in Covid-19 cases on Sydney’s northern beaches, understandably causing headaches for Cricket Australia.

However, the two national squads along with some broadcasters have received exemptions to travel to Brisbane on a chartered flight.

As reported by Australian Peter Lalor, BCCI does not want to travel to Brisbane if mentally exhausted players will be confined to rooms in a hard lockdown.

“If you look at it, we were quarantined for 14 days in Dubai before landing in Sydney and doing so for another 14 days,” an Indian official told Cricbuzz.

“That means we were in a hard bubble for almost a month before we left. What we don’t want now is to quarantine ourselves again at the end of the tour.”

However, Queensland opposition health spokesperson Ros Bates delivered a direct message to tourists on Sunday: “If the Indians don’t want to follow the rules, don’t come.”

Queensland’s Shadow Sports Minister Tim Mander echoed those comments: “If the Indian cricket team wants to spit the dummy and ignore the quarantine guidelines in Brisbane for the fourth test, then they shouldn’t come. .

“The same rules should apply to everyone. Simple.”

Players from Australia have reportedly been informed that they will be restricted to their hotel rooms when not training or playing in Brisbane.

According to Lalor’s report, the SCG will host two trial matches unless the Queensland government grants a waiver or the BCCI retracts its demands.

It’s no secret that BCCI has a huge influence on the cricket world, which means that Brisbane is in grave danger of losing the fourth round.

India has never won a test match at the Gabba, while Australia have not lost at the venue since 1988.

“The schedule has been implemented and we prefer to stick to it,” Australian hitter Matthew Wade told reporters Sunday afternoon.

“There was speculation about staying in Melbourne, but we preferred to stick to the schedule implemented at the beginning of the summer so I would expect to go to the Gabba anyway.

“If it were two games in a row at SCG, obviously it wouldn’t be something we wanted to do … there are no secrets, we love Gabba and we want to get there.”

Meanwhile, the New Year’s ordeal at the SCG is also in jeopardy after New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian restricted outdoor gatherings to 2,000 people on Saturday.

However, Ms. Berejiklian emphasized that SCG’s rules remain in effect for now, and any changes to the 50 percent capacity limit will be decided after a security review of the site.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, New South Wales Deputy Prime Minister John Barilaro said the state would be prepared to host the fourth test if necessary.

However, it would be difficult for SCG curators to prepare another release with only four days separating the last two tests.

“If we are going to do an alternative test because of what happened with the infractions, that is up to the Queensland government,” Barilaro said.

“That bubble is to protect the players and the community … if those infractions have affected the conditions that the Queensland government has put in place for the Indian cricket team or for both cricket teams, it is something that the Queensland government should take to make a decision about it. “

On Saturday, CA issued a statement saying it was investigating possible COVID-19 biosecurity protocols from the Indian cricket team.

The tragic Cricket Navaldeep Singh saw Indian squad members Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw and Navdeep Saini having dinner at a restaurant on Friday afternoon.

CA’s strict biosecurity guidelines dictate that players should only dine in public outdoors, but the Indian quintet are apparently inside without masks.

“BCCI and CA are investigating the matter and seeking to determine if the departure constitutes a violation of biosafety protocols,” the statement read.

“Meanwhile, following the advice of the Australian and Indian medical teams, the aforementioned players have been isolated as a precaution.”