The Indian Cricket Team is reportedly not willing to travel Brisbane for the fourth and last Test of the series due to the quarantine restrictions. The government of Queensland will put both sides in 14-day isolation upon arrival in Brisbane for the final encounter which gets underway on January 15 at the Gabba. Ajinkya Rahane’s men have already served 14-day quarantine period in Sydney upon their arrival from Dubai and are reluctant to go through the same experience yet again. Although the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) hasn’t made any official request to Cricket Australia (CA) regarding the matter, Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) – which is hosting the third game – can be the venue of the final Test as well. Indian Team Management Rubbishes Allegations of Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant & Others Breaching Bio Bubble in Melbourne.

"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.

"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. Fan Who Claimed To Pay the Bill of Indian Cricketers in Melbourne, Denies Hugging Rishabh Pant.

As mentioned above, SCG is all but likely to be kept on standby for the final Test if the Indian team refuses to travel to Brisbane.

Meanwhile, the visitors are already in crisis after five of their players namely Rohit Sharma, openers Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw, Navdeep Saini, Rishabh Pant found to have breached the bio-bubble protocols. These players were spotted having food inside a Melbourne hotel which is not allowed as per the norms. Subsequently, they have been separated from other Indian players and put under isolation. While BCCI and CA are investigating the matter, the Indian team management is clear that no player has breached any rule.

Meanwhile, the four-match series is currently poised at 1-1 after the first two games. The third and penultimate match gets underway on January 7 at the SCG.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 03, 2021 12:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).