Farce and Furious!

Not only has the cancellation of last weekrsquos 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 pocketsThe fate of the Pataudi Trophy would have been finalised at Manchester India who were 21 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 FridayHit in the pocketNewcastlebased Amit Patel is fuming ldquoWe 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 nightrdquo Amit told midday on Tuesday which would have been Day Five of the TestAmit Patel with his friends Paresh top left and Rakesh centre and his family during the Leeds TestWhile 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 journeyldquoI 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 lotrdquo said AmitParesh Patel who started from London at 5 am on the day of the Test chose to look at the lighter side of the fiasco ldquoYes it was disappointing that the Test match didnrsquot 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 miniholidayrdquo said Paresh who witnessed all four Test matches of the seriesBristolbased Rakesh Patel took three days off for the final Test ldquoI 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 Testrdquo he said When the prematch 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 COVID19Ahead of the fourth Test at The Oval the Indian coaching support staff mdash head coach Ravi Shastri bowling coach Bharat Arun fielding coach R Sridhar and physio Nitin Patel mdash had tested positive for the virus and were promptly isolated from the teamlsquoWrong to blame Team IndiarsquoParesh rallied behind the Indian team like any diehard fan would do ldquoIt is absolute rubbish that India are blamed for the final Test not happening Yes they all tested negative but we all know how the COVID19 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 wouldnrsquot be the only nation to play more Test cricket 12 games this year as compared to ODIs and T20Is in a yearldquoIt was disappointing that we didnrsquot get to see the conclusion of the Test series that was so wellfought but itrsquos 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 securedrdquo said Paresh 54Also Read New IPL team auction to take place on October 17