England begin a busy Test cricket year with a five-match series in India and aim to continue the ‘Basball’ revolution in the subcontinent.
Since Brendon McCullum took over as coach of the Test team in 2022, England are yet to lose a Test series, home or away, winning four and drawing three. Their overall Test win-loss record is 14 wins and six defeats over the same period.
But the last time England toured India they were on the end of a 3-1 hiding. They won the first Test but lost the next three heavily: by 317 runs, 10 wickets and an innings, and 25 runs respectively. Indeed, since their famous 2-1 win in 2012-13, England have won just one of nine tests in India, lost seven and drawn the other.
The tour comes after England’s white-ball team finished 2023 with a T20 and one-day international tour of the West Indies.
The home team has now announced its squad for the first two Test matches; You can read it here.
What is the full fixture list and schedule?
All times United Kingdom
1. Test: 25–29 January, Hyderabad (4am start)
2. Test: 2–6 February, Visakhapatnam (4am start)
3. Test: 15–19 February, Rajkot (start at 4am)
4. Test: 23-27 February, Ranchi (start at 4am)
5. Test: March 7–11, Dharamsala (start at 4am)
On which channel is the India-England match?
As of the second week of the new year, it was not yet known which TV channel would broadcast the live action from India in the UK. However, it is not uncommon for TV rights for tours in the subcontinent to be announced very late.
The live radio broadcast will be on Talksport, not BBC Test Match Special. Although the BBC bid for the rights they were defeated by Talksport.
Who is in the England squad?
England surprised their fans by announcing 20-year-old Somerset off-spinner Shoaib Bashir as one of the first three players in their squad.
Bashir, who has played just six matches of first-class cricket for Somerset, was likely selected for his potential based on high action and impressive performances at the England Lions training camp in the UAE.
The other two men in a 16-player touring party not deployed at Test level are Lancashire left-arm spinner Tom Hartley and Surrey fast bowler Gus Atkinson. Hartley and Atkinson had played white-ball cricket for the national team.
Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed is also in the team and Jack Leach, who is returning from a stress fracture in his back, has a fourth spin option. Two other spinners with international experience, Liam Dawson and Will Jacks, were left out.
There are four seam bowling options: James Anderson, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood and Atkinson.
England’s 16-man squad for India
Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow (keeper), Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root , Mark Wood
Who is in the India squad?
India remain top of the table in Test cricket after drawing 1-1 in the three-match series against South Africa. The home team has now confirmed their 16-man squad for the first two Test matches:
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), KS Bharat (wicketkeeper), Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Avesh Khan.
What are the latest Test results between the two teams?
India in England (2021)
August: The match was 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 postponed due to 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 wickets
March: India won by an innings and 25 runs
What are the venues and stadiums for testing?
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
