India head to Durham for England Test series preparation as five members continue quarantine

Bowling coach Bharat Arun, wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha and reserve player Abhimanyu Easwaran were identified as close contacts of Garani and will undergo 10-day isolation in London before joining the team.

Pant tested positive on 8 July but has remained asymptomatic and is close to full recovery. Upon returning two negative RT-PCR tests, he will join the Indian team in Durham.

The Indian cricket team were on a three-week break after the ICC World Test Championship Final against New Zealand that concluded on 23 June.

The BCCI press release also stated that all the members of the travelling contingent were administered the second dose of the COVID vaccine and are exercising extra caution to avoid any outbreak.

"The entire Indian contingent including travelling family members and caretakers were administered with the second dose of covid vaccine earlier this month in London," read the release. "To mitigate any further risks, the Indian contingent is taking the Lateral Flow Test on a daily basis."

The Indian team will play a three-day warm-up game against County XI at Emirates Riverside starting on Tuesday, 20 July before the Test series against England commences with the first game on 4 August.