India to host a winter of limited overs
LIMITED-OVERS cricket will return to dominate India’s home season as the country hosts Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka between late September and December.
India are ranked No 1 in tests by the International Cricket Council and last year played 13 of the long-format matches during a bumper home season against New Zealand, England, Bangladesh and Australia.
Virat Kohli’s men, who won all four test series, also played eight ODIs and three Twenty20 internationals in the last home season.
The Indian cricket board (BCCI) has, however, not finalised the dates of the matches for logistical reasons.
BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary said: “The dates of the matches have deliberately not been frozen.
“The logistics must factor in local factors such as festivals because, as you know Durga Puja – being what it is in the whole of eastern India and not only in West Bengal – and other public holidays and logistics of distance.”
The team will play 11 one-day internationals, nine Twenty20 matches and three tests.
Steve Smith-led Australia, who are embroiled in a bitter dispute between their players’ union and their national board over a new pay deal, will be first to arrive in India.
Australia, who lost a four-test series 2-1 away to India in February-March, will play five ODIs and three T20 matches. New Zealand will then play three ODIs and three T20 internationals.
Sri Lanka, now hosting India, will then play a full series comprising three tests, three ODIs and an identical number of T20 matches.
Kolkata, Nagpur and Delhi have been marked down to host the three tests against the South Asian neighbours.
India are scheduled to travel to South Africa for a full tour after the completion of the matches against Sri Lanka. India’s 2017-18 home season:
Australia: five ODIs in Chennai, Bangalore, Nagpur, Indore and Kolkata; three T20s in Hyderabad, Ranchi and Guwahati.
New Zealand: three ODIs in Pune, Mumbai and Kanpur; three T20s in Delhi, Cuttack and Rajkot.
Sri Lanka: three tests in Kolkata, Nagpur and Delhi; 3 ODIs in Dharamsala, Mohali and Vizag; three T20s in Thiruvananthapuram, Indore and Mumbai. – Reuters