The Board of Control for Cricket in India has announced the dates and venues for the blockbuster series between India and England in 2021. In a press release issued by the BCCI, England will play four Tests and five Twenty20 Internationals in India beginning from February. The series will kickstart on February 5 with the four-Test series. The MA Chidambaram stadium in Chepauk, which has not hosted Test cricket since 2016, will host the first and second Tests while the new Motera stadium in Ahmedabad will host the third and fourth Tests. The stadium underwent a total revamp and it now has a capacity of 110,000, making it the largest stadium in the world and surpassing the Melbourne Cricket Ground when it comes to total seating.
In fact, Motera stadium in Ahmedabad will have a blockbuster cricket schedule when it comes to the series against England. The third Test will be the Day-Night Test and it will host India’s second Pink Ball Test at home after the huge success of the first game was played in Kolkata last year. Ahmedabad is expected to turn pink when it hosts the third Test on 24th of February under lights. Ahmedabad will also host five Twenty20 Internationals against England and this will be the first time that one venue is hosting an international Twenty20 bilateral series of three or more games.
After the end of the Tests and T20Is, there will be three ODIs and they will all be played at the MCA stadium in Pune from March 23 to March 26. Thus, England’s tour of India will last over fifty days.
‘High Safety protocols’
Jay Shah, the secretary of the BCCI, said that the tour will be conducted according to the safety protocols which have been agreed upon by the BCCI and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Jay Shah also indicated that the series might not be played behind closed doors and fans might be able to come in. “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. 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,” Jay Shah said.
Tom Harrison, the CEO of the ECB, said it was a pleasure that England would become the first international team to play at the 110,000-strong capacity Motera stadium. “We have been delighted with the planning that has been undertaken by the BCCI to ensure the three venues in Chennai, Ahmedabad 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,” Harrison said.
Complete fixtures
Test matches
February 5 to February 9, 1st Test: India vs England, Chennai
February 13 to February 17, 2nd Test: India vs England, Chennai
February 24th to February 28th, 3rd Test (D/N): India vs England, Ahmedabad
March 4th to March 8th, 4th Test: India vs England, Ahmedabad
Twenty20 Internationals
March 12, 1st T20I: India vs England, Ahmedabad
March 14th, 2nd T20I: India vs England, Ahmedabad
March 16th, 3rd T20I: India vs England, Ahmedabad
March 18th, 4th T20I, India vs England, Ahmedabad
March 20th, 5th T20I, India vs England, Ahmedabad
ODIs
March 23, 1st ODI: India vs England, MCA Stadium Pune
March 26, 2nd ODI: India vs England, MCA Stadium Pune
March 28th, 3rd ODI: India vs England, MCA Stadium Pune
