Reports | CA on the brink of relocating SCG Test as Sydney’s Covid cluster continues to grow

Weeks after hosting the 3rd T20I of the tour with a full house, a Covid outbreak in the state of Sydney has now put the third Test of the India-Australia series in jeopardy. A covid cluster in Sydney’s Northern Beaches growing to 68 cases has now cast heavy doubts over the possibility of the third Test happening in the state, and, according to a 7 News Report, it is believed that Cricket Australia are set to have an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss contingency plans.

As things stand, the third Test of the series is scheduled to take place at the Sydney Cricket Ground starting January 7, but now plans are set to be made to relocate the game elsewhere, owing to the growing coronavirus cases in the state. 

The MCG and the Adelaide Oval, 7 News reports, are the most likely venues which could take up the encounter, should the game be moved out of Sydney. Multiple reports have indicated that the CA have ‘asked’ the MCG staff to be prepared to host back-to-back matches, while in the case of the match being moved to Adelaide, it is believed that a normal day game will be played, instead of a day-night Test. 

Brisbane, too, is a possible venue, but the report states that the visitors are unlikely to agree to playing back-to-back matches at the Gabba due to the bouncy nature of the wicket. 

News also broke out on Saturday that two members of the Australian squad, David Warner and Sean Abbott, were prematurely flown into Victoria over fears of states closing their borders with Sydney, further indicating that the third Test could no longer be held at the iconic SCG.