Last updated on .From the section Cricket

The postponed fifth Test between England and India will be played at Edgbaston from 1-5 July next year.

The rearranged Test will count towards the outcome of the series, which India lead 2-1.

Old Trafford will replace Edgbaston as the venue for the second Test between England and South Africa in August.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said Old Trafford could not stage the rearranged Test because of "complexities in the schedule" and a lack of time to prepare a pitch because of "pre-planned events" at the ground.

ECB chief executive Tom Harrison said: "We are very pleased that we have reached an agreement with BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) to create a fitting end to what has been a brilliant series so far.

"We would like to apologise again to fans for the disruption and disappointment of September events."

BCCI honorary secretary Jay Shah said: "The four Test matches were riveting, and we needed a fitting finale."

India are scheduled to play three Twenty20s and three one-day internationals in England in July.

The T20 series will start six days later than originally planned on 7 July, and the ODI series will get under way on 12 July.

Old Trafford will host an ODI rather than the scheduled T20, while Edgbaston will do the opposite.

"We recognise that accommodating this extra match means a tighter schedule for the white-ball series," Harrison said. "We will continue to manage our players' welfare and workloads through next year."

The Test was postponed after a number of India's support staff tested positive for coronavirus.

The tourists said they were unable to field a team as they feared further cases spreading through the squad.

In announcing the news of the cancellation two hours before the start of the game on 10 September, the ECB said India had forfeited the Test, only to retract that statement.

Harrison said later that day that the International Cricket Council would make a ruling on the outcome of the Test and series, but India opener Rohit Sharma said this month: "In my mind we have won the series 2-1."

Source: BBC News

Powered by NewsAPI.org