India will commence their run in the inaugural World Test Championship with a two-match Test series in the West Indies, beginning late August.
According to ESPNCricinfo, the two Tests which will be played in Antigua (August 22-26) and Jamaica (August 30-September 3) come at the back end of the tour which also comprises three T20s and three ODIs.
The tour was originally slotted to begin immediately after the World Cup but was pushed back following the BCCI’s request. India will begin the tour with two T20Is, the first of which will be played in Florida on August 3. In recent times, Florida has become a regular venue for Cricket West Indies. The venue also hosted two T20Is during India’s tour to the Caribbean in 2016, apart from a number of Caribbean Premier League matches, ESPNCricinfo said.
In March, CWI had sent a request to the BCCI asking to play an additional T20I. Another request from CWI was two of the three agreed T20Is to be played in Miami. According to the minutes of meeting on March 18 between the BCCI officials and the Committee of Administrators, the first request was struck off, but the second one was approved provided the T20I series took place ahead of the Test series.
This will be India’s only overseas Test assignment in 2019. Earlier this month, CWI confirmed the hosting of India A on a shadow tour, consisting of five one-dayers and three four-day fixtures from July 11 to August 9.
The revised fixtures give CWI a clear window for the CPL. The seventh edition of the T20 competition is set to be played between September 4 and October 12. Originally, it was slotted from August 21 to September 27. The revised schedule also means all the West Indies players are likely to be available for the entire duration of the CPL, ESPNCricinfo reported.
