India played 2 intra-squad games before the ICC World Test Championship final and will do the same ahead of their Test series against England from 4 August.
India will prepare for the England Test in the same way they did for the WTC final vs New Zealand earlier this month (AP Photo)
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- India will face England in a series of 5 Tests from August 4
- India will not be able to play warm-up game in England due to Kovid-19 protocol
- India-England Tests to be played in Nottingham, London, Leeds and Manchester till September 10
The England and Wales Cricket Board has confirmed that Team India will have to carry on with their intra-squad matches in Durham to prepare for the upcoming Test series in England due to the COVID-19 protocol.
India’s preparation for the recently concluded ICC World Test Championship final has come under question after losing the title clash against New Zealand.
India played 2 intra-squad games before the WTC final, unlike New Zealand, who beat England in a two-Test series before taking on Virat Kohli’s side in Southampton earlier this week.
But the real reason for India not playing warm-up matches against English county teams is Covid-19. The BCCI had reportedly requested the England Cricket Board for some practice games but it was denied due to the coronavirus crisis situation.
“Due to the COVID-19 protocols, they will play two intra-squad four-day matches before the first Test in August,” an ECB spokesperson told PTI on Friday.
The Indian players have a few weeks to rest and refresh themselves in England before they team up again in London on July 14. They will then move to Durham where they will begin test preparation with intra-squad games and outdoor drills.
“England domestic cricketers not being in the bubble is definitely an issue. So the games in Durham will be intra-squad ones,” said a BCCI official on conditions of anonymity.
India will play Tests against England in Nottingham, London, Leeds and Manchester from August 4 to September 10 before traveling to the United Arab Emirates to restart the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, which was halted after just 29 matches in May. was given. The second wave of Kovid wreaked havoc in India.
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