Over a month has passed since India lost the final of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship (WTC). As New Zealand tasted success after an endless wait, Virat Kohli’s men quietly dispersed for a short break in the UK before regrouping in Durham to reignite the second edition of the World Test Championship, beginning August 4.
The series will mark the only five-match series in the two-year cycle alongside the Ashes later this year. The first Test will be played in Nottingham.
Here are all the details you need to know before the clash between Kohli’s India and Joe Root’s England.
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When and where will the matches be played?
The five-match Test series will begin on August 4 in Nottingham with the extensive series slated to finish with the final Test set to be played from September 10-14.
- 4–8 August 2021: 1st Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham - 03: 30 PM IST
- 12–16 August 2021: 2nd Test at Lord’s, London - 03: 30 PM IST
- 25–29 August 2021: 3rd Test at Headingley, Leeds - 03: 30 PM IST
- 2–6 September 2021: 4th Test at The Oval, London - 03: 30 PM IST
- 10–14 September 2021: 5th Test at Old Trafford, Manchester - 03: 30 PM IST
What's at stake
With the five-match Test series marking the commencement for the second edition of the WTC, the no.2 ranked Indian side will be taking on the fourth-ranked England side in a tussle for a total of 60 points - each Test win awarding 12 points, six for a tie and four for a draw.
Besides the championship points at stake, India and England will be vying for the Pataudi Trophy that was established for the time in 2007 in honour of Iftikhar Ali Pataudi (the only player to feature for both England and India in Tests) and his son Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi who remains to date as India’s youngest-ever Test captain.
The upcoming series marks the fifth edition of the Pataudi Trophy since 2007. Rahul Dravid’s Indian side won the inaugural edition before England dominated the next three series in 2011, 2014, 2018 - convincingly winning each of them.
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Will spectators be allowed for the Test series?
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on July 5 the lifting of COVID-related curbs with sports stadiums allowed to hold full capacity matches from July 19. Consequently, as things stand, the Test series will be played in front of capacity crowds in all five venues across the country.
Which ball will be used for the Test series?
The five Tests will be played with the dark Dukes ball. Unlike the SG (used in India) and Kookaburra (used in Australia) balls, the Dukes retains its shape for a longer period with a more pronounced seam. The extra grip over the ball makes it conducive for swing bowling in favourable conditions in England while posing a stiff challenge for the batters.
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Squads for the series
INDIA squad: Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (Captain), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Suryakumar Yadav (yet to join), Prithvi Shaw (yet to join)
Standby players: Prasidh Krishna, Arzan Nagwaswalla
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England squad: Joe Root (c), Rory Burns, Dominic Sibley, Jos Buttler, Mark Wood, Sam Curran, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, Stuart Broad, Zak Crawley, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Craig Overton
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Where to watch the India vs England Test series live?
The India vs England Test series will be shown in the Sony Sports network and streamed live on Sony Live and Jio TV.
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