India’s highly anticipated tour of the United Kingdom is set to kick off in less than a year, with the BCCI officially announcing the fixtures for the five-Test series. This tour will mark the beginning of a new World Test Championship cycle for India, as they embark on a nearly two-month-long campaign across London, Headingley, Birmingham, and Manchester.
The Indian team, led by skipper Rohit Sharma, will be looking to clinch their first Test series win in England since 2007. Despite coming close in 2021, India had to settle for a 2-2 draw. Now, with victories against Australia and England at home, Rohit faces one of the toughest challenges of his Test and captaincy career.
The Test matches will be hosted at five of England’s premier Test venues. The series opener is scheduled to take place at Leeds Cricket Ground in Headingley from June 20 to 24. After a week-long break, the second Test will be held at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham from July 2 to 6. The third Test will follow at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London from July 10 to 14. The action then shifts to Manchester, where Old Trafford will host the fourth Test from July 23 to 27. The series finale will be played at The Oval in London from July 31 to August 4.
There is currently no confirmation on whether India will participate in any practice matches before the series. However, if they qualify, India is likely to feature in the World Test Championship final just before the series begins. India currently leads the WTC standings with a win percentage of 68.51, ahead of second-placed Australia, although Australia holds more points.
India’s last tour of England in 2021, under the captaincy of Virat Kohli, saw the team narrowly miss out on a historic series win. The first Test ended in a draw due to rain, but India bounced back with a memorable 151-run victory at Lord’s, with KL Rahul’s century and Kohli’s “60 overs of hell” line becoming iconic moments.
However, England leveled the series by winning the third Test at Leeds. India quickly responded with a dominant 157-run win at The Oval, led by Rohit Sharma’s maiden overseas Test century. Unfortunately, the decider in Manchester was postponed due to a Covid outbreak, and when it was eventually played in 2022, England won by seven wickets at Edgbaston.
India and England last faced each other in a five-Test series earlier this year in February-March, where India secured a 4-1 series win after coming from behind. Yashasvi Jaiswal was the standout performer, scoring over 700 runs, including two double-centuries. The series also saw India debut five new players, with Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Akash Deep, and Devdutt Padikkal all making significant contributions.
| Match | Venue | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | Headingley, Leeds | June 20-24 |
| 2nd Test | Edgbaston, Birmingham | July 2-6 |
| 3rd Test | Lord’s, London | July 10-14 |
| 4th Test | Old Trafford, Manchester | July 23-27 |
| 5th Test | The Oval, London | July 31-August 4 |
