India’s tour of England, 5-match Test series: All you need to know

India’s five-match Test series against England is all set to begin on August 4. The first Test that will be played in Nottingham will mark India’s first red-ball encounter after a loss against New Zealand in the final of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship (WTC).

With this Test series, they will be commencing their journey in the second edition of the WTC.

With days to go for the Virat Kohli and Joe Root‘s side to clash, here are all the details you need to know about the clash.

The schedule:

The five-match Test series will begin on August 4. The final Test will begin from September 10-14.

August 4–8, 2021: 1st Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham – 03: 30 PM IST

August 12–16, 2021: 2nd Test at Lord’s, London – 03: 30 PM IST

August 25–29, 2021: 3rd Test at Headingley, Leeds – 03: 30 PM IST

September 2–6, 2021: 4th Test at The Oval, London – 03: 30 PM IST

September 10–14, 2021: 5th Test at Old Trafford, Manchester – 03: 30 PM IST

With an eye on the WTC

India, ranked number 2 in the Test ranking, will take on England, who are ranked fourth, for a total of 60 points – each Test win will get the winning side a total of 12 points. If the match is tied, both teams will get six points for a tie and four points will be given if there is a draw.

Besides that, India and England will be fighting for the Pataudi Trophy that was established in 2007.

This will be the fifth edition of the Pataudi Trophy since 2007. India, captained by Rahul Dravid, won the inaugural edition before England dominated the next three series in 2011, 2014, 2018.

Spectators – in or out?

Yes, the Test series will be played in front of capacity crowds in all five venues across the country. This comes as the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, on July 5, announced the lifting of COVID-related curbs.

Which ball will be used?

Dark Dukes ball will be used in the Test series. The SG is used in India and the Kookaburra is used in Australia. The Dukes retains its shape for a longer period with a more pronounced seam. The ball’s extra grip makes it conducive for swing bowling in favourable English conditions.

Where to watch the India vs England Test series live?

The India vs England Test series will be telecast on the Sony Sports network.

Squads (from):

India: 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

England: 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.