Indian team not keen on travelling to Brisbane for fourth Test

[Trichromatic]

Quote

India have expressed their reluctance to travel to Brisbane for the fourth Test in case they have further restrictions imposed on them. Their scepticism over traveling to Queensland stems from reports that they might be pushed back into hard lockdown, with their movement severely curtailed.

The visitors have been very clear since arriving in Australia that once they were done with their initial 14-day quarantine at the start of the tour, they be treated as anyone else around Australia in terms of freedom of movement. And with fears now that they would be back in a less porous bubble which is likely to see their travel being limited from hotel to stadium to back upon reaching Brisbane, via Sydney, the Indians are keener to stay away.

"If you look at it, we were quarantining for 14 days in Dubai before landing in Sydney and doing so for another 14 days. That means we were in a hard bubble for nearly a month before coming out. What we don't want now is to quarantine again at the end of the tour," a source in the Indian team told Cricbuzz.

The official added that while they have been cooperative with the protocols that Cricket Australia (CA) and the different state governments have laid out for them, they don't want to be "shunted around" now and would prefer playing the last two Test matches at the same venue.

"We aren't keen on going to Brisbane if it means being stuck in the hotel again, except for going to the ground. Instead we don't mind being in some other city, playing both Test matches there to complete the series and returning home," he added.

As it stands, the Indian team is scheduled to travel to Sydney on Monday (January 4), train for two days and then start the third Test at the SCG on Thursday (January 7). They are then set to receive exemptions along with some of the broadcast staff to travel into Queensland on a chartered flight, despite the state having shut its borders to New South Wales, which still hasn't recovered from the northern beaches Covid-19 outbreak from four weeks back.

Seven new community transmission cases were reported in NSW on Saturday (January 2), which led to the announcement of masks being made mandatory again in most public places. The last couple of days have witnessed both South Australia and Victoria announcing hard border shutdowns with NSW.

It's unlikely then that Queensland will reconsider their own border closure with NSW in time for the two teams' scheduled departure for Brisbane, who will then travel with the special exemptions that CA had spoken about last week. And that would mean exactly the kind of hotel quarantine that the Indian team is keen on avoiding.

"We understand the complexity of what's happening currently. Cricket Australia and we have cooperated at every step with regards to following the protocols within the bubble. But we were expecting to be treated in the same vein as 'normal Australians' in terms of restrictions once we completed that initial quarantine in Sydney," the source said.

This comes in the wake of reports about five Indian players having allegedly breached the bubble by dining in an indoor restaurant with one of them hugging a member of the public. A press release from CA has indicated that the incident will be investigated further to see if there was a breach.

The Indians were given a freer lease of life when they came out of their hotel quarantine on November 26. And before Saturday, there hadn't been any reports of them not following the protocols. There are also anxieties about Sydney within the Indian camp in terms of whether they'll even have the same level of freedom as they did during the first leg of this tour.

"All we're saying is the boys have been in various states of lockdowns and bubbles for nearly six months now. And it's not been easy for anyone. If you look at it, we are one of only two teams who have had zero issues while being on a tour during this pandemic. After all this time, what we don't want is to be sent into another hard bubble, which seems will be the case in Brisbane," the source said.

https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/115513/breaking-news-indian-team-not-keen-on-travelling-to-brisbane-for-fourth-test-against-australia

[WC2011INDIA]

Perfect. It's all happening after Sharma joined as VC. 

[Jimmy Cliff]

4D Chess to not play at Fortress Gabba .

[Lone Wolf]

Nice way to escape from GABBA test

[Sandeep99]

We’re anyway losing Gabba badly.. great way to escape it.. I think this was the plan all along from the time it was scheduled as the last test instead of season opener 

[Gollum]

Nice tactic 

[ShoonyaSifar]

So the local Aussie MP from Brisbane says "If the Indians don't want to play by the rules, don't come". She is saying this in a PC not wearing a mask herself.

 

I do hope someone from BCCI reminds the MP about wearing a mask in public, tell her if your rules are so important to you, let there be no sporting events, say thank you to CA and pack the bags after the 3rd test (if there is more drama before that as well)

[express bowling]

I don't think we would have lost at Gabba this time.

 

The current Australian batsmen have bigger issues against bounce than us 

[rkt.india]

So they are still in Melbourne. Why not play both the test in MCG then instead of going up Sydney.

[New guy]

6 minutes ago, ShoonyaSifar said:

So the local Aussie MP from Brisbane says "If the Indians don't want to play by the rules, don't come". She is saying this in a PC not wearing a mask herself.

 

I do hope someone from BCCI reminds the MP about wearing a mask in public, tell her if your rules are so important to you, let there be no sporting events, say thank you to CA and pack the bags after the 3rd test (if there is more drama before that as well)

There are no mask rule in Australia. There is no community transmission. They are just worried about those coming from other states. The strict rules and quarantibe are for that

Edited January 3, 2021 by New guy

[rkt.india]

5 minutes ago, express bowling said:

I don't think we would have lost at Gabba this time.

 

The current Australian batsmen have bigger issues against bounce than us 

Its not the bouncer but extra bounce from short of length that taller Aussie bowlers will get at Gabba which has troubled our batsmen. 

[Adamant]

After undeservingly making crores of money in ipl why would they endure this mental pain. 

These guys are just entitled brats, they are refusing to play a match for the country just bcoz they need to stay in a 5 star hotel. 

Send these duckers back home.

 

[Lone Wolf]

10 minutes ago, express bowling said:

I don't think we would have lost at Gabba this time.

 

The current Australian batsmen have bigger issues against bounce than us 

I think we would have..  I watched Aussies batting in Perth last time closely.  There guys are used to cut & pull strokes more than us..  Plus there bowlers were getting more out of Perth pitch due to their height..  Making our scoring incredibly difficult.  Kohli scored a freakish ton somehow to give some respectablity to our total. 

Tim Paine is excellent on Backfoot & So are Smith & Warner & he has troubled on two fast surfaces back to back in Perth & Adelaide. 

Without our first Choice bowling attack It will be difficult to match Aussie bowlers hostility in Gabba & I think TM knows that well.   Also Runs flow easily in Gabba as players like to ride on the bounce to play those horizontal bat strokes..  Something that Indian bowlers have nullified on other surfaces Bharat Arum in last tour explained briefly how Indian bowlers took out their cut & pull.  If weather stays well in Sydney & our batters apply well..  We will be 2-1 up.  In Gabba there is always a different story. 

Edited January 3, 2021 by Lone Wolf

[express bowling]

1 minute ago, rkt.india said:

Its not the bouncer but extra bounce from short of length that taller Aussie bowlers will get at Gabba which has troubled our batsmen. 

 

 

Our quicker pacers generally get bounce from short of a length at Gabba too.

 

The main issue earlier was that the Aussie batters handled bounce better. Not this team.

[rkt.india]

2 minutes ago, express bowling said:

 

 

Our quicker pacers generally get bounce from short of a length at Gabba too.

 

The main issue earlier was that the Aussie batters handled bounce better. Not this team.

We lost at Perth last time on a bouncy pitch. Aussie batters this series are better too. Even in 2015, we struggled badly at Gabba against extra bounce of Johnson and Hazelwood.

[Norman]

Good.

[ShoonyaSifar]

17 minutes ago, New guy said:

There are no mask rule in Australia. There is no community transmission. They are just worried about those coming from other states. The strict rules and quarantibe are for that

Doesn't matter. WHO recommends masks. A public figure appearing without mask and talking about covid rules looks silly. There was so much arrogance in her voice

 

I do hope BCCI sticks to its stand and comes back if needed. We do not owe Aussies anything

[Ankit_sharma03]

great anyways Gabba is Aus fortress 

[YCCC]

Surely they knew about this before the tour. If they think this is bad they might as well call off the two England series, both in India and the UK, now, as they’ll be in those conditions for weeks during those series

Edited January 3, 2021 by YCCC

[Trichromatic]

39 minutes ago, rkt.india said:

So they are still in Melbourne. Why not play both the test in MCG then instead of going up Sydney.

 

There is political pressure to play at Sydney.