After opener and skipper Rohit Sharma tested positive for Covid-19 in England, Team India have called up opener Mayank Agarwal for the one-off Test match against England in Edgbaston, starting on July 1.
Rohit is currently in isolation after having tested positive and the team management have made no announcement on the captaincy change. As per reports, the management will only take a call on the issue when the game approaches.
In an update on Sunday morning, BCCI tweeted, “#TeamIndia Captain Mr Rohit Sharma has tested positive for COVID-19 following a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) conducted on Saturday. He is currently in isolation at the team hotel and is under the care of the BCCI Medical Team.”
The team is already missing the services of regular Test opener KL Rahul, who is nursing an injury. If Rohit is unable to partner Shubman Gill during the reshceduled Test, Mayank will then be drafted in the playing XI.
Notbaly, Mayank Agarwal had last played a Test against Sri Lanka.
The match in Edgbaston is the fifth and final Test of the series which commenced last year however, it was forced to be postponed following a Covid outbreak in the India camp.
Notably in 2021, the Indian team had declined to play the fifth and final Test of the series follwoing a Covid-19 scare in their dressing room. The then head coach Ravi Shastri and team physiotherapist too had got infected and as a result, the touring party didn’t wanted to play the game.
Later, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah had said that it was a joint decision with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to cancel the fifth Test.
India currently lead the five-match series 2-1.