Bio Bubble and mind games!

#BioBubble @BCCI @IndvsAus @bcci @kannandelhi

S.Kannan in New Delhi

Indian cricket makes news, on and off the field.

Reports which came in on Saturday suggesting five Indian players — Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Shubhma Gill, Navdeep Saini and Prithvi Shaw — were “spotted inside a restaurant in Melbourne” has  led to a furore over breach of the Bio Bubble.

At first, a fan had claimed he had even hugged a player and paid for the restaurant bill. However, sources from Melbourne told this writer eating indoors may have been a breach of protocol but it was not done deliberately. It had rained on January 1 and the players had shifted indoors.

With Cricket Australia releasing a statement as well on the “breach of Bio Bubble” one can expect matters to escalate. But the news is these five players will be travelling with the team to Sydney for the fourth Test, starting on January 7.

The Australian newspapers are full of news on how the Indian players have erred. To be sure, after the eight-wicket thrashing the Aussies received in the second Test in Melbourne, they will be ready to do anything to upset the Indians, media included!

In an age where social media can do intense damage, the five players have been condemned for improper behaviour, hugging a fan and much more. The Bio Bubble involves intense and repeated testing for Covid-19. In the recent past, there have  been an number of pictures of the Indian players around in the Aussie cities, minus masks.

Victoria state is supposed to be Covid free which is why wearing a mask is not mandatory. However, now and then there are a few cases in Australia which leads to intense panic.

For those fans who are wondering if the five Indian players will be censured and not allowed to play the fourth Test, that sounds bizarre. There is no way the Aussies will want the Test not to be played as their board needs the money more than the BCCI, which primarily comes through TV rights.

As for the Aussie media and others, they will continue to lampoon and lambast the Indians. In the past, they were known for sledging. Perhaps, today, Rishabh Pant does that “irritation” job better than the Aussies. These Aussies are the same guys who were part of the “Monkeygate” incident 13 years ago.

This time, the Indians are better prepared for the mind games. They have bounced back under Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy. Living in a Bio Bubble is very hard and maybe the Indian players will be more watchful from here on.

Last but not the least, the Team India will not want to give BCCI president Sourav Ganguly any needles stress. He is recuperating in a Kolkata hospital after a stenting procedure on Saturday, following a heart attack. Sourav Dada has been receiving any number of “get well soon wishes” from the world over. This website, too, wishes him a speedy recovery.