With less than a year until India’s highly anticipated tour of the United Kingdom, the BCCI has unveiled the fixtures for a five-Test series. This extensive, nearly two-month tour will kick off with matches across London, Headingley, Birmingham, and Manchester, heralding the start of a new World Test Championship cycle.
India has not won a Test series in England since 2007, coming close in 2021 when the series ended in a 2-2 draw. Captain Rohit Sharma, fresh from domestic success against Australia and England, faces a significant challenge as he prepares for this historic endeavor.
The series will commence at Headingley Cricket Ground in Leeds from June 20 to 24, followed by a match at Edgbaston in Birmingham from July 2 to 6. The iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London will host the third Test starting July 10, while Old Trafford in Manchester will see the fourth match. The series will conclude at The Oval in London from July 31 to August 4.
Whether India will play any practice matches remains uncertain. If qualified before this tour, India may compete in the World Test Championship final, likely scheduled just before the series. Currently, India leads the WTC standings with a win percentage of 68.51, ahead of Australia, but with fewer matches played.
The last tour in 2021, under Virat Kohli’s captaincy, almost resulted in a breakthrough series win. Highlights included a historic victory at Lord’s and strong performances from players like KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma. Unfortunately, the decider was postponed due to a Covid outbreak, with England ultimately taking the series in a later rescheduled match.
Earlier this year, the two teams faced off in a challenging five-Test series, which India won 4-1, driven by Yashasvi Jaiswal’s outstanding form and the introduction of several promising talents. As the cricketing world anticipates the upcoming series, excitement builds around the potential for another riveting contest.
