The last time India were in Manchester for a Test was in 2021 and it was a pretty bleak affair. An outbreak of Covid‑19 among their backroom staff led to the series finale being called off just 90 minutes before the toss, even if many suspected the proximity of the rescheduled Indian Premier League also had a role to play.
“I saw Lanky the Giraffe walking into the ground with his head slumped,” said Tom Harrison, at the time chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board, after crossing paths with Lancashire’s club mascot that morning. “It summed up my feelings, too.”
