Michael Holding told me BCCI didn't want the last Test, they only wanted four-match series: Dilip Doshi

The five-match Test series between India and England came to an abrupt end with the final match getting indefinitely postponed due to COVID-19 fears in the Indian camp. For the unversed, several members from India’s support staff including head coach Ravi Shastri had contracted the virus during the series. As Team India’s assistant physiotherapist also got affected ahead of the final Test, the players were hesitant to take the field.

This eventually led to the suspension of the entire match. For the unversed, the fifth Test was due to end on September 13, just six days before the resumption of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. Interestingly, BCCI announced a mandatory quarantine period for all players and officials following the cancellation of the Test. Hence, a wide section of fans and experts believe the Indian board didn’t want the fifth Test to happen in the first place.

Addressing the same, former Indian cricketer Dilip Doshi revealed an interesting conversation with former West Indies pacer Michael Holding. As per Doshi, Holding said BCCI wanted to wrap up the series after the fourth Test. However, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) didn’t agree and five matches were put on the schedule.

Dilip Doshi reveals conversation with Michael Holding

“I was speaking to a dear friend of mine Michael Holding earlier today and he mentioned to me that the Indian Cricket board did not want the last Test. So, their original suggestion was that the tour should end after the Oval Test, leaving enough time between IPL and the last Test in England. Giving a gap of 15 days because of the quarantine period in between, but I believe ECB did not want that and they may have insisted on the fifth Test,” Doshi was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

Meanwhile, the five-match series currently stands at 2-1 in favour of India. Both boards are currently planning to conduct the remaining game next year on England soil. Hence, it would be interesting to see how it pans out. Meanwhile, the Indian players are now gearing up for the second leg of IPL 2021. All the matches will take place in UAE and all eight teams would be raring to get the glory.