Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday announced the fixtures for Team India’s home series against England, which will begin in February.
The much-awaited marquee series will kickstart with a four-match Test series for the Anthony de Mello Trophy, the first of which will be played in Chennai from February 5.
Chennai will also host the second Test, beginning February 13, while the newly built Sardar Patel Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the remaining two Tests, to be played from Feb 24-28 and March 4-8 respectively.
Motera, the largest cricket stadium in the world, boasts of state of the art facilities and a seating capacity of 110,000. It will host India’s second Day-Night Test match at home after the huge success of India’s first-ever pink-ball Test that was played in Kolkata last year. Ahmedabad is expected to turn pink when it hosts the third Test on February 24 under lights.
The iconic Test will be followed by the five-match T20I series, which will also be held in Ahmedabad.
The last leg of the tour will feature ODIs and all three matches will be held in Pune. The board said that it has restricted the tour to just three venues “keeping in mind the current pandemic situation prevailing in the country.”
BCCI secretary Jay Shah assured that the board will leave no stone unturned to make sure that the tour is held adhering to all safety protocols agreed by the BCCI and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) medical teams.
“The BCCI prioritises health and safety of both teams and will leave no stone unturned to make sure that the tour is held adhering to all safety protocols agreed by the BCCI and ECB medical teams. Both boards have worked closely to put together an exciting series that promises to provide high octane action between two powerhouses of world cricket. This will be India’s first bilateral series at home since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and the home season will bring back joy to cricket fans,” Shah said in a statement.
ECB CEO Tom Harrison said: “International cricket between India and England is a highlight of the cricketing calendar and always attracts significant levels of interest from fans around the world. We have been delighted with the planning that has been undertaken by the BCCI to ensure the three venues in Chennai, Ahmadabad and Pune will be ready to host international cricket in a bio-secure environment and look forward to working closely with them over the coming weeks to finalise those plans.
The prospect of becoming the first international side to play at the magnificent Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad adds an extra dimension to the tour and I know will be something that is a highlight for both the players and management.” (ANI)
