Reports | Gabba Test in doubt after the three-day lockdown in Brisbane

01/08/2021

While there was always a looming controversy over the Gabba Test, a new wave of COVID-19 cases in the city alongside a three-day lockdown, issued by the Brisbane government, has put the fourth Test at the venue in doubt. The report also stated that Cricket Australia are yet to make a decision.

Over the course of last week, the endless discussion pointed out at the visitors wanting to pull a plug on the fourth Test at the Gabba, with hard-quarantine a necessity. However, things have changed dramatically ever since, with Brisbane entering into a three-day lockdown, which has flipped the entire landscape south.

While Cricket Australia have put their best foot forward to making the fourth Test a possibility, the reports are seemingly ruling out the possibility of the last Test happening. The lockdown was announced just a day after the top cricketing officials from both boards sat for a discussion in regards to the fourth Test.

"Cricket Australia executives are urgently trying to determine the impact of a three-day lockdown in Brisbane on next week's fourth Test at the Gabba, which was already under a cloud because of India's hesitation to fly north and be subjected to tighter bio-security restrictions," the 'Sydney Morning Herald' reported.

"A hotel quarantine worker's positive test to the more contagious UK strain of COVID-19 is the latest spanner in the works for CA's hopes to close out the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series at the Gabba," it further wrote.

In case the final Test of the tour does not go through at the Gabba, Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), which is currently hosting the third Test would be the venue for the decider. Even if Gabba does get the clearance, it is yet undecided whether the fans would be allowed in full capacity or a reduced one.

"The health scare in the city, however, has left those attendance caps in jeopardy," the newspaper stated.