Top Stories: Things that made news in the cricket world today

Team India players and support staff test negative for COVID-19

• Amidst all the brouhaha around India’s five players possibly breaching Cricket Australia’s bio-bubble protocols, COVID-19 tests of the visiting contingent have returned negative.
• The tests were done on Sunday ahead of the team scheduled travel to Sydney Monday.
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We don’t want to be treated like animals in the zoo, says Team India

• Team India is firm on its stance of not being in quarantine for the remainder of the ongoing Australia tour.
• Moreover, all of them including the support staff have been tested negative for COVID-19 ahead of their scheduled travel to Sydney for the third Test starting from January 7.
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Australia vs India: James Pattinson ruled out of SCG Test after fall at home

• Australia have suffered yet another injury blow with their fast-bowler James Pattinson out of the upcoming third Test against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
• The penultimate match of the four-match series is scheduled to be played from January 7.
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‘BCCI seem to have a fair bit of power over people’ – Andrew Symonds feels team India will get away with not playing in Brisbane

• Before the crucial third Test against Australia, Team India has been facing the scrutiny from the Australian media.
• It all started after five Indian players – Rohit Sharma, Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, and Navdeep Saini – allegedly breached the bio-bubble visiting a restaurant in Melbourne.
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BCCI might have to pay INR 906 Crore tax for hosting ICC T20 World Cup 2021

• The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) looks in trouble owing to the current tax issue with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Indian government.
• It is reported that the Indian cricket board might have to pay a whopping amount of INR 906 Cr for hosting the highly-anticipated ICC T20 World Cup 2021 in in October and November if they fail to get tax exemption from the government.
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Cricket Australia confident about hosting fourth Test in Brisbane

• Cricket Australia (CA) is certain that they will be successfully able to host the last Test of the four-match Border Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia at The Gabba in Brisbane, starting from January 15 without any hindrance.
• The reports of Indian players unhappy with the venue of the fourth Test owing to the harsh bio-bubble restrictions in Brisbane were doing rounds in the media.
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Australia vs India: BCCI disappointed by ‘don’t come’ comments from QLD Government Minister; rethinking of playing at The Gabba

• The ongoing Test series between Australia and India continues to be in the news.
• This time the Queensland’s Shadow Minister for Health and Ambulance Services, Ross Bates’ comments has left the BCCI disappointed as according to the board, the team has been shown in poor light despite co-operating with Cricket Australia for the whole tour.
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