Five Indian cricketers in isolation after Melbourne dinner date

MELBOURNE: Five Indian cricketers currently touring Australia have been placed under isolation after eating out at a restaurant in Melbourne, a likely breach of strict Covid-19 health measures.

The players — Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw and Navdeep Saini — are being kept away from the rest of the Indian and Australian squads ahead of the third Test starting in Sydney on Thursday.

The Australian state of Victoria, which contains Melbourne, is currently working to stem a cluster of virus cases tied to a wider outbreak in neighbouring New South Wales.

In response authorities now require all restaurant-goers to dine outdoors and maintain social distancing.

The cricketing quintet were filmed inside the restaurant by a fan, who then posted the clip on Twitter.

"The BCCI and CA are investigating the matter and seeking to determine whether the outing constitutes a breach of biosecurity protocols," a statement from Cricket Australia said.

"In the interim, on the advice of the Australian and Indian medical teams, the aforementioned players have been placed in isolation as a precaution."

Australia won the opening Test in Adelaide by eight wickets, with India levelling the series on Tuesday with an eight wicket win in Melbourne.

The third Test will go ahead in Sydney despite a coronavirus outbreak in the city, with Brisbane holding the final clash as scheduled.