Wriddhiman Saha recovers from COVID-19, set to be part of England tour

Indian wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha who had contracted COVID during the truncated 14th edition of the Indian Premier League has recovered from the deadly virus and will be part of the 20 man squad for the England tour.

Saha who was part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad in the IPL returned two negative tests during his quarantine period. One of the finest modern-day wicket-keepers, Saha had contracted the virus just a day before the tournament came to a halt abruptly on 4th May.

The wicket-keeper batsman was included in the 20-member squad for the World Test Championship final against New Zealand and the five-match Test series against England subject to his fitness clearance. Now that he has recovered in time, he in all likelihood will board the flight to the UK.

He will join the rest of his teammates where they will be quarantining in Mumbai before leaving for England. The Indian players and all the support staff have been allowed to travel to the UK along with their family members where they will be spending more than three months.

The stumper had confirmed last week that he had tested positive in one of the two mandatory RT-PCR tests during his quarantine period. However, after his clearance, Saha will be India’s second wicket-keeper for the England tour with Rishabh Pant expected to retain his place in the XI.

"My quarantine period is still not over. As a part of the routine check-up, 2 tests were done, out of which 1 was negative and the other one came as positive. Otherwise, I am doing much better. Requesting everyone not to spread misleading stories/information without the whole context," he had said in a social media post.

The No 1 ranked Test side in the world, India will go head to head against New Zealand in the ICC Test Championship final between 18 and 22 June.

After a month-long gap where they will lock horns against England in a five-match Test series which will be part of the next Test Championship fixture.

While the players in the Test squad will be practising in UK for the whole of July, a specialist limited-overs team will visit Sri Lanka for a five-match T20I series and a three-match ODI series.

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Request an end to rumour-mongering & innuendo: Aus bowlers respond to Bancroft's comments

Australia player Cameron Bancroft who was one of the three players apart from Steve Smith and David Warner in the Sandpaper ball-tampering controversy during Newlands Test in 2018 made a shocking statement recently. Bancroft had hinted that the bowling unit that comprised Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon did have an idea about the alteration in the condition of the ball. But the Aussie bowling attack that featured in that particular Test has now issued a joint statement saying that they had no idea about the tampering with the ball. READ THE FULL STATEMENT HERE: To The Australian Public We pride ourselves on our honesty. So it’s been disappointing to see that our integrity has been questioned by some journalists and past players in recent days in regard to the Cape Town Test of 2018. We have already answered questions many times on this issue, but we feel compelled to put the key facts on the record again: We did not know a foreign substance was taken onto the field to alter the condition of the ball until we saw the images on the big screen at Newlands And to those who, despite the absence of evidence, insist that ‘we must have known’ about the use of a foreign substance simply because we are bowlers, we say this: The umpires during that Test match, Nigel Llong and Richard Illingworth, both very respected and experienced umpires, inspected the ball after the images surfaced on the TV coverage and did not change it because there was no sign of damage. None of this excuses what happened on the field that day at Newlands. It was wrong and it should never have happened. We’ve all learned valuable lessons and we’d like to think the public can see a change for the better in terms of the way we play, the way we behave and respect the game. Our commitment to improving as people and players will continue. We respectfully request an end to the rumour-mongering and innuendo. It has gone on too long and it is time to move on. Regards Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon Bancroft was handed over a ban of nine months for his involvement while the then captain Smith and Warner were banned for one year. Darren Lehmann who was the then coach of the Australian side also stepped from his post.

Umesh Yadav expects a tough game for the Test Championship final, have plans for Williamson

Indian fast bowler Umesh Yadav who is a part of the Indian Test squad for the upcoming World Test Championship final and the five match Test series against England feels that Kane Williamson will be the key player for New Zealand and if they pick his wicket early then chances of India winning the inaugural Test Championship will brighten up. Umesh might have to warm the benches atleast for the final as the pace attack looks settled and raring to go. “We do have a fair idea about Kane’s game, though I don’t think he has too many weaknesses,” Umesh was quoted as saying by Telegraph. “Of course, any quality batsman can fall to a good delivery, so as a fast bowler, you should look to stick to your strong points and bowl more of those balls which can fetch you wickets. And yeah, we need to get Kane out as early as possible as that’ll surely benefit the team,” he added. Both teams look very balanced on paper. Despite India’s dominance in the Test Championship, they will have their task cut out against a well oiled New Zealand unit that boasts of a sensational bowling attack and a world-class batting line-up. Kane Williamson has handled the mantle of leadership very well and though his numbers outside New Zealand in the Championship is not something which he will be proud of but Williamson can prove to be a nemesis for India given his exploits in seam friendly conditions at home. Umesh though admits that New Zealand are a well-balanced team and he expects a tough contest. “New Zealand are a strong side, they bat deep and their pacers are quite experienced and lethal. So it will be a tough game,” he said. The English conditions are another challenge and the team that is disciplined in each session will be the one that will emerge victorious. English conditions are also a big challenge for us and so is playing against a team like New Zealand,” Umesh further added. In the era of T20 cricket, it is very important for the Test specialists to keep themselves in the best of shapes. Umesh who hardly plays limited-overs cricket these days feels that as Test cricketers it is important to be disciplined in each and every aspects of the game. “But being Test players, we need to play with discipline and make sure we remain disciplined right throughout in all aspects of the game. The team that maintains such discipline in each and every session will prevail,” Umesh quipped. The UK bound Indian cricketers will start assembling in Mumbai very soon and that will be the destination from where they will be departing for the three-month-long tour of England. The players are currently on a break after the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League got suspended midway through the tournament. “It’s difficult to say whether the IPL getting suspended was good or bad because in any case, cricket has reduced due to the pandemic,” Umesh said.

Priya Punia's mother passes away due to Covid-19

Indian women’s team player Priya Punia suffered a huge loss after her mother passed away due to COVID-19. Priya shared the news on her official social media handle. “Today I realized why you always told me to be strong. You knew that one day I would need the strength to bear the loss of yours. I miss you so mom! No matter the distance I know you are always there with me. My guiding star, my mom. Love you always. Some truths in life are hard to accept. Your memories will never be forgotten! Rest In Peace Mom. Please follow the rules and take precautions. This virus is very dangerous. Wear a mask, maintain social distancing, stay safe and stay strong,” wrote Punia on her IG handle. Earlier, another Indian women’s team cricketer Veda Krishnamurthy lost her mother and sister after both of them succumbed to Covid-19. Punia was named in the Indian squad which is scheduled to play a one-off Test and three-match ODI series against England away from home. The side would be led by Mithali Raj. The Test match is slated to begin on June 16 in Bristol while the ODI series starts from June 27 at the same venue. The remaining two ODIs will be played on June 30th and July 3rd in Taunton and Worcester respectively.

Ian Chappell feels Bancroft's future chances will be numbered after recent revelations

Former Australian skipper Ian Chappell is of the opinion that Cameron Bancroft’s recent revelations on the infamous sandpaper gate saga won’t do him any benefit as it might go onto decrease his future chances of representing the national team. In a recent interview to the Guardian, Bancroft hinted at the fact that the bowling cartel was aware of the ball being scruffed up with sandpaper. "Yeah, look, all I wanted to do was to be responsible and accountable for my own actions and part. Yeah, obviously what I did benefits bowlers and the awareness around that, probably, is self-explanatory," Bancroft told the Guardian. His remarks prompted Cricket Australia’s Integrity Unit to reach out to him in order to gather any additional information on the particular incident. However, a report in the Sydney Morning Herald says that Bancroft has backtracked on the issue claiming that he doesn’t have any new information to give. Chappell felt that while it is not ethical to pick and choose players on the basis of likes and dislikes but this has been going on for some time now. When asked whether selection happens on basis of likes and dislikes, Chappell said, "The answer should be 'No,'" Chappell was quoted as saying by Wide World of Sports. "But does like and dislike come into selection? It shouldn't, but it does. Do selectors sometimes pick players, or not pick them, for reasons other than cricket ability? I think it happens occasionally. "It's definitely happened as far as Warner and leadership is concerned," he concluded. Back in March 2018, the tainted trio of Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft was involved in the ball-tampering incident at the Newlands in Cape Town. On the insistence of the then captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner, Bancroft applied sandpaper on the ball. Getting caught on TV, Bancroft panicked and shoved the small piee of sandpaper inside his trousers. While Warner and Smith was handed one year ban, Bancroft had to be out of competitive cricket for nine months after accepting the charges in the post day presser.