Michael Vaughan blames IPL for cancellation of 5th Test, Aakash Chopra gives reality check

Cricketer-turned cricket pundits Aakash Chopra and Michael Vaughan engaged in a social media war recently after the fifth and final Test between England and India was called off with immediate effect on Friday. It so happened that Team India's assistant physio Yogesh Parmar tested positive ahead of the contest, as a result of which Thursday's practice session was called off, and the players were asked to remain inside their hotel rooms. Even though the entire team returned with negative reports the day before the scheduled start, the Test was called off by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

England vs India: Michael Vaughan & Aakash Chopra's argument on social media

Both the cricket experts were arguing over the cancellation of the Manchester Test recently and while Vaughan blamed the IPL 2021 being the sole reason behind the cancellation of the 5th Test match, Chopra strongly disagreed with him and reminded the 2005 Ashes series-winning skipper of how the English team had failed to complete an away series due to the same reason last year.

On Saturday, Michael Vaughan took to the micro-blogging site and claimed that the Old Trafford Test was cancelled in order to make way for the second phase of IPL 2021 starting September 19. 

When this came to Aakash Chopra's notice, the former Team India Test opener replied to Vaughan saying that England had off their tour to SA in similar circumstances i.e. Uneasiness over a COVID outbreak.

In December last year, the three-match ODI series between South Africa and England was cancelled due to the COVID-19 scare. 

While the One Day series was postponed, the Eoin Morgan-led side had whitewashed the Proteas in the three-match T20I series that had preceded the originally scheduled ODI series.

England vs India Test series 2021

Prior to the cancellation of the final Test match, India enjoyed a  2-1 lead in the series. courtesy of their wins at the Lord's and at The Oval. In the second Test that was contested at the 'Mecca' of Cricket  Lord's, India secured victory by 151 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series. The Joe Root-led side ought back in the third Test and bundled India out for 78 in the first innings en route to a comfortable victory by an innings and 76 runs.

Kohli & Co. then turned the tables on the host in the following Test match at London's Kennington Oval with an emphatic 157-run win.