England and India Men to conclude LV=Insurance Test series next year

The fifth match of the LV= Insurance Test Series between England Men and India Men has been rescheduled and will now take place in July 2022.

The match, which was due to take place last month at Emirates Old Trafford, was called off when India were unable to field a team due to fears of a further increase in the number of COVID-19 cases inside the camp.

With India leading the series 2-1, the concluding fifth match will now take place from July 1, 2022, at Edgbaston, following an agreement between the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

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. Instead, Emirates Old Trafford will now host the second LV= Insurance Test against South Africa next summer, starting on August 25, 2022. This match was previously due to take place at Edgbaston.

Given the rescheduling of the fifth Test, the Vitality IT20 Series and Royal London Series between England and India will now start six days later than originally planned. The IT20 series will begin on 7 July at Ageas Bowl with Edgbaston and Trent Bridge hosting the 2^nd and 3^rdgames of the series respectively on 9 and 10 July.

The Royal London One Day Series starts on 12 July at the Kia Oval. Lord’s will host the 2^nd game of the series on 14 July and the series will wrap up at Emirates Old Trafford on Sunday 17 July.

Ticket holders do not have to take any action as all tickets will remain valid for the equivalent rearranged matchday at their host venue. Host venues will communicate the new fixture details to ticket purchasers and the options available to them, including the timeframe for requesting a refund if they are not able to attend the new match day.

Tom Harrison, ECB Chief Executive Officer, said: “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.

“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.

“We would like to apologise again to fans for the disruption and disappointment of September events. We know it was a day that so many had planned long in advance.

“We recognise that accommodating this extra match means a tighter schedule for the white ball series. We will continue to manage our players’ welfare and workloads through next year while we also continue to seek the optimum schedule for fans, players and our partners across the game."

Mr Jay Shah, Honorary Secretary, BCCI, said: “I am delighted that the England-India Test series will now have its rightful conclusion. The four Test matches were riveting, and we needed a fitting finale.

"The BCCI recognizes and respects the traditional form of the game and is also mindful of its role and obligations towards fellow Board Members. In the last two months, both BCCI and the ECB have been engaged in discussions and our efforts were aimed at finding a suitable window. I thank the ECB for their understanding and patience in finding an amicable solution.”

Revised Dates and venues

Rescheduled 5^thLV= Insurance Test v India, Edgbaston - 1 - 5 July

Vitality IT20 Series v India

1^st Vitality IT20, Ageas Bowl - 7 July

2^nd Vitality IT20, Edgbaston - 9 July

3^rd Vitality IT20, Trent Bridge - 10 July

Royal London Series v India

1^st Royal London ODI, Kia Oval - 12 July

2^nd Royal London ODI, Lord’s - 14 July

3^rd Royal London ODI, Emirates Old Trafford - 17 July

2^nd LV= Insurance Test v South Africa, Emirates Old Trafford - 25-29 August