Chennai will host the first 2 Tests between India and England in February 2021 as England visit the Asian country for a much-anticipated full tour. Ahmedabad’s rebuilt Motera Stadium will host a day-night Test and the 4th Test along with all T20Is of a 5-match series. A 3-match ODI series will be played in Pune.
Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Jay Shah on Thursday said that the newly-built stadium will host five T20Is and a couple of Tests during England’s tour of India in 2021.
India and England were scheduled to meet in the limited-overs leg of the series in September-October 2020, but the series was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The upcoming full tour of England will be India’s first international assignment at home since the enforced break due to the Covid-pandemic.
Chennai will host the first two Tests starting February 5 and 13. The caravan will then move to Ahmedabad for the remaining two Tests and five T20Is, all of which will be held at the newly-built Sardar Patel Motera Stadium.
The third and fourth Tests will be played from February 24 (day-night) and March 4 while the T20Is will be played from March 12 to 20.
The final leg of three ODIs will be played in Pune with games on March 23, 26 and 28.
England Tour of India Full Schedule
England’s tour of India, 2021 – Test series
| S.No. | Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5th – 9th Feb | 1st Test | Chennai |
| 2 | 13th – 17th Feb | 2nd Test | Chennai |
| 3 | 24th – 28th Feb | 3rd Test (D/N) | Ahmedabad |
| 4 | 4th – 8th March | 4th Test | Ahmedabad |
England’s tour of India, 2021 – T20I series
| S.No. | Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12th March | 1st T20I | Ahmedabad |
| 2 | 14th March | 2nd T20I | Ahmedabad |
| 3 | 16th March | 3rd T20I | Ahmedabad |
| 4 | 18th March | 4th T20I | Ahmedabad |
| 5 | 20th March | 5th T20I | Ahmedabad |
England’s tour of India, 2021 – ODI series
| S.No. | Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23rd March | 1st ODI | Pune |
| 2 | 26th March | 2nd ODI | Pune |
| 3 | 28th March | 3rd ODI | Pune |
BCCI Focussed On Health And Safety Of Players: Jay Shah
BCCI secretary Jay Shah said that the Indian cricket board will focus on the safety of the players and the support staff and officials. However, it remains to be seen whether crowds will be allowed at the venues, considering the Covid-19 situation in India.
“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,” Jay Shah said in a release.
“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.”
Delighted To Be The First Team To Play at Motera: ECB CEO Tom Harrison
England and Wales Cricket Board CEO Tom Harrison said all the three venues will be hosting the matches in bio-secure environments and the board will be working closely with the BCCI to finalise the plans.
“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,” Harrison said.
“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.”