England vs India, Test series and tour: Next match, full schedule and fixtures
England have been handed a boost with the news that that Virat Kohli will miss the three remaining Tests due to personal reasons.
Kohli did not play in the first two Tests and informed the Indian board on Friday that he will not be returning for the rest of the series, denying the contest the presence of arguably the most charismatic and volatile cricketer in the world when it resumes at 1-1 in Rajkot next week.
There has been no further public explanation for Kohli’s absence other than the statement put out before the series started that he would be unavailable due to personal reasons. It will be the first time he has missed an entire home series since the start of his Test career.
India won the second match of the series thanks to Ollie Pope’s 196 and Tom Hartley’s second-innings seven-for. India bounced back with victory in the second match, set up by Yashasvi Jaiswal’s double century and rounded off by Bumrah’s nine wickets in the match.
The third Test begins next Thursday. England are currently in the UAE on a break with their families and will fly into India on Monday to resume training two days before the start of the third Test.
What is the full fixture list and schedule?
All times UK
1st Test: January 25–29, Hyderabad – England won by 28 runs
2nd Test: February 2–6, Visakhapatnam – India won by 106 runs
3rd Test: February 15–19, Rajkot (4am start)
4th Test: February 23-27, Ranchi (4am start)
5th Test: March 7–11, Dharamsala (4am start)
What TV channel is India vs England on?
In the UK, TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport) is showing the series after reaching an agreement just nine days before the first ball was bowled. The matches are also available to view on discovery+. Commentary is being taken from the world feed, which features Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan.
Although there was no studio presence at all for the first Test, for rest of the series, TNT Sports flew Alastair Cook and Steven Finn to Sweden in order to get up early and provide an on-screen presence. The studio host is Kate Mason.
The live radio coverage is on Talksport 2, not BBC Test Match Special. Although the BBC bid for the rights, they were beaten by the commercial broadcaster. Talksport will broadcast the next leg of England’s tour of India primarily from London with a significantly reduced team on location in Rajkot and Ranchi.
Who is in the England squad?
England’s squad of 16 features a mix of youth and experience. Veterans like Joe Root and James Anderson are joined by rookie spinners in Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley, the latter of whom took nine wickets on debut in the opening game. Harry Brook was allowed to return to the UK before the first Test even started, for personal reasons. He may be available for selection later in the tour but has been replaced in the squad by Dan Lawrence.
England’s 16-man squad for India
Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood
Added: Dan Lawrence
Who is in the India squad?
Alongside Kohli, India have also left out middle order batsman Shreyas Iyer for the final three Tests but named Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul in the squad. Jadeja (hamstring) and Rahul (thigh) missed the India win in Vizag and will face fitness tests in Rajkot before a decision is made on their participation in that match.
Iyer only made scores of 35, 13, 27 and 29 in the first two Tests but excelled in the field, taking a crucial catch off Zak Crawley in the first innings in Vizag and running out Ben Stokes on the final day. India expect Rahul to return in the middle order and have kept faith with Rajit Patidar who made an assured debut in the second Test.
It remains to be seen whether Jasprit Bumrah will play in Rajkot. India are likely to rest him for at least one of the next two Tests before a short break before the final match of the series in Dharamshala. Seamer Akash Deep, who was the leading wicket-taker for India A in the recent series against the Lions, has been called up to the Test squad for the first time.
India’s squad for remaining Tests:
Rohit Sharma (capt), Jasprit Bumrah, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul (wk), Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep.
What are the venues and stadiums for the Tests?
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium/Uppal Stadium
Location: Hyderabad
Established: 2003
Capacity: 55,000
Dr YS Rajashekar Reddy ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium
Location: Visakhapatnam
Established: 2003
Capacity: 40,000
Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium/Khandheri Cricket Stadium
Location: Rajkot
Established: 2009
Capacity: 28,000
Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium
Location: Ranchi
Established: 2011
Capacity: 50,000
Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium
Location: Dharamsala
Established: 2003
Capacity: 23,000
What are the most recent Test results between the two teams?
India in England (2021)
August: Match drawn
August: India won by 151 runs
August: England won by an innings and 76 runs
September: India won by 157 runs
July 2022 (match delayed by Covid): England won by seven wickets
England in India (2021)
February: England won by 227 runs
February: India won by 317 runs
February: India won by 10 wicket
March: India won by an innings and 25 runs
