The series that lasted a year: Why India's 2021 tour of England was halted midway

Time of India

5 hours ago

The outbreak of Covid-19 in the Indian team contingent had forced the decision of call off the Old Trafford Test. (File)
As Team India prepare to face England in a five-match Test series, starting June 20, echoes of the dramatic 2021 series remain loud in memory — not just for its thrilling cricket, but for the extraordinary disruption that saw the final match delayed by nearly a year.
The 2021 series, much like the one ahead, marked the beginning of a new ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle and began soon after the inaugural WTC Final between India and New Zealand, which the Kane Williamson-led team won at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.
The India-England series began in August 2021 but concluded only in July 2022 — not due to any cricketing reason but because of a global crisis that redefined life across borders — COVID-19.
With multiple members of India's support staff testing positive ahead of the fifth and final Test at Old Trafford, Manchester, the visitors were unable to take the field. As a result, the decider was abruptly postponed, with both boards later agreeing to reschedule it as a standalone Test during India's white-ball tour of England in July 2022.
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How the series unfolded before the abrupt pause:
1st Test, Nottingham:
Rain played spoilsport at Trent Bridge where India looked well-placed chasing 209, before the final day was washed out.
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Jasprit Bumrah stood out with a match haul of 9/110, and KL Rahul impressed with a fluent 84.
2nd Test, Lord's:
India bounced back strongly to win by 151 runs. KL Rahul's 129 and a spirited bowling performance led by Mohammed Siraj (4/94 & 4/32) saw England collapse for just 120 in their fourth innings.
3rd Test, Headingley:
England roared back, demolishing India by an innings and 76 runs after bundling them out for a paltry 78 in the first innings.
Joe Root continued his sublime form with his third century of the series.
4th Test, The Oval:
India stunned the hosts again with a comeback win. Despite trailing by 99 runs after the first innings, a majestic 127 by Rohit Sharma helped India post 466 in the second innings and eventually secure a 157-run victory, giving them a 2–1 series lead.
The fifth Test that never happened:
With the momentum in India's favour and a historic series win within reach, the final Test in Manchester was scheduled to begin on September 10, 2021.
However, the game was thrown into chaos when several members of the Indian team, including head coach Ravi Shastri, tested positive for COVID-19. As a precaution, the Indian players refused to take the field. The ECB first announced a delay and then declared the match cancelled.
"Due to fears of a further increase in the number of COVID cases inside the camp, India are regrettably unable to field a team," the ECB had said in a statement.
The BCCI maintained that the decision was driven by medical advice and a desire to ensure player safety.
In the following weeks, both boards worked on finding a solution. Finally, it was agreed that the match would be played in July 2022, and it would still count as part of the 2021 series, keeping the 2–1 lead and the series context intact.
A different Team India took the field in 2022
A lot changed between September 2021 and July 2022.
India had undergone a leadership change after Virat Kohli stepped down from Test captaincy following the South Africa series in January 2022. Rohit Sharma was named the new captain, but he too tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the rescheduled Test. KL Rahul was unavailable due to injury, and ultimately, Jasprit Bumrah led India — becoming the first fast bowler to captain India in a Test since Kapil Dev.
Despite the turmoil, India posted a strong first-innings total of 416 at Edgbaston, powered by a breathtaking 146 from Rishabh Pant.
England responded with 284, and India set them a daunting target of 378. In an extraordinary turnaround, England chased it down, riding on an unbeaten century from Joe Root (142*), levelling the series 2-2 and achieving their highest successful run chase in Test history.
A series remembered for more than just cricket
While the series itself was a rollercoaster of performances — from KL Rahul's resilience, Bumrah's brilliance, Root's consistency to Pant's audacity — it will forever be remembered for its unprecedented interruption.
As India return to English shores for the 2025 series under a new leadership group, the memories of 2021 serve both as a reminder of cricket's fragility and its remarkable resilience. From empty stadiums to delayed Tests, from biobubbles to breakthroughs, the 2021 series was a saga shaped not just by bat and ball, but by the times in which it was played.