England-India postponed Test to be played from July 1 next year

England Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that the postponed Test between England and India will be played from July 1 next year. The match was postponed earlier this year after several members of the Indian support staff tested positive for COVID-19. The Test will count towards the outcome of the series which India leads 2-1.

“We are very pleased that we have reached an agreement with BCCI to creating a fitting end to what has been a brilliant series so far,” Tom Harrison, ECB Chief Executive Officer, said. “I’m very grateful to all the venues involved for the cooperation they’ve shown in allowing us to reschedule this match. I’d also like to thank Cricket South Africa for their support and understanding to allow these changes to be possible.

Originally, the match was scheduled to be played at Old Trafford in Manchester but now, it will be played at Edgbaston. ECB revealed the venue was changed as they will not have enough time to prepare the pitch due to pre-planned events. “Due to the complexities in the schedule, the fixture cannot be staged at Emirates Old Trafford owing to clashes with pre-planned events at the venue, which will leave insufficient time to prepare a Test pitch,” the ECB explained in a media release.

Meanwhile, the accommodation of the Test will mean that the schedule of India’s limited-overs series, which was earlier set to commence on July 1, has been pushed back by a week. The T20I series will now get underway on July 7, while the ODI series will kick off from July 12.