The Indian team management has scrutinized the rigid bio-bubble conventions set up for the World Test Championship last at the Ageas Bowl arena in Southampton after six members of the New Zealand squad, who, like India, are staying at the stadium’s on-site hotel, went golfing while the Indian players and their families stayed on their hotel floors.
Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Daryl Michell, and physio Tommy Simsek, according to information, went to the golf course on Tuesday morning. The Indian team manager was supposed to lodge a complaint to the ICC over what the Indian team saw to be a violation of bio-bubble protocols.
While the golf course is located on the same grounds as the Ageas Bowl, the Indian team requested consistency when applying regulations to the two teams. “The players and their families have all been formally instructed not to leave their individual floors within the hotel until they are on their way to the stadium.
The ICC, on the other hand, claims that there has been no breach of the bubble and that now that the Indian team has completed its legally necessary quarantine time, during which they did receive exemptions to train, they may travel more freely throughout the bio-secure bubble, including playing golf.
Furthermore, in accordance with procedure, the Indian team reduced their 24-member contingent to 15 members, as did the New Zealand team management, and dispatched the remainder of the players and their families to London. The freed players (KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, and Arzan Nagwaswalla) have been told that they may only watch the game from the stands and will not be allowed to join the players during the final.
The Indian team for the World T20 Final consists of 15 players: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Siraj, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha, and Umesh Yadav.
It is the first time when India is set to play any ICC final without M S Dhoni in playing eleven in the last 14 years.
Sachin Tendulkar, India’s legendary batter, predicts a difficult match against New Zealand in the inaugural World Test Championship final. He believes New Zealand will acclimatize to the conditions in England more quickly, but despite easily defeating India at home the last time the two teams played, they will need to play “high-quality cricket” to defeat the Virat Kohli-led side in Southampton. He also stated that India must be completely prepared for the encounter and convert any half-chances that come their way.