International cricket is set to return to India after 11 months, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announcing the itinerary of a full home series against England in February-March next year.
Restrictions
Considering the need to restrict movement due to the pandemic, the four Tests, five T20Is and three ODIs have been scheduled in just three cities — Chennai, Ahmedabad and Pune.
The four-match Test series is critical for both teams, considering the revised points system of the World Test Championship, and will be held in two cities.
It’s the first instance of venues staging successive Tests in a series on Indian soil.
While Chennai will host the first two Tests, starting February 5 and 13, respectively, the sides will then move to Ahmedabad for over a month to play the last two Tests and a five-match T20I series.
The tour will culminate in Pune, with the last of the three ODIs to be played on March 28.
The Hindu understands that the decision to start the tour in Chennai, which could also host a three-day warm-up game, was made for logistical reasons.
England will finish its two-Test series in Sri Lanka in January, and arriving in Chennai in a biosecure bubble will be convenient.
Ahmedabad, the home city of BCCI secretary Jay Shah, has received a major chunk of the fixtures, including the pink-ball Test starting February 24.
It will be interesting to see whether the pitches play true, given the volume of cricket they will have to support (back-to-back Tests and five T20Is).
Moreover, the stadium, which last staged an international tie in 2014, is yet to host even a First Class match after it was refurbished.
Despite the apprehension over the pitches, the renovated stadium — with a superior clubhouse in the premises — will offer a very safe biosecure environment to deal with the challenges of hosting sport in pandemic-hit times.
Domestic season start
It is understood that the truncated domestic season is set to start with the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on January 7. The announcement of six venues for the league stage has been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances.