England team to start full-group training from Tuesday as all COVID-19 tests return negative
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England cricket team is all set to commence training as a full group on Tuesday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium after all PCR tests returned negative ahead of the four-Test series starting from February 5. Thus far, only the troika of Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Rory burns were practising as they had reached India days before their team-mates and completed their quarantine period before the rest of the squad.
England cricket team is all set to commence training as a full group on Tuesday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium after all PCR tests returned negative ahead of the four-Test series starting from February 5. Thus far, only the troika of Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Rory burns were practising as they had reached India days before their team-mates and completed their quarantine period before the rest of the squad.
Stokes, Archer and Burns will now gear up to welcome the rest of the team with England set to commence final preparations ahead of the first Test in Chennai, scheduled to kick-start from February 5.
On Tuesday, England team will take the field at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai for the first time as a full group since landing in India.
England are coming at the back of a fantastic 2-0 Test series win against Sri Lanka as the Joe Root-led side dominated the proceedings in both the matches. Whereas India will be high on confidence after their historic 2-1 triumph against Australia in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
With both England and India in form, the four-match Test series promises to be a great spectacle.
Meanwhile, England's Jos Buttler welcomed the challenges of keeping wickets in India as he said that the turning tracks can sometimes be a tricky ask for a glovesman.
"There's some big challenges keeping wicket, the way the pitch will change and deteriorate over the five days," Buttler told a video conference on Saturday.
"There's less carry for the seam bowlers than we're used to in England or Australia and South Africa. So you're standing quite close and a lot of the chances are very quick reactive chances. And then obviously the challenge of standing up to the spinners when the ball starts to turn..."
England Tour of India: Full Schedule
Tests
Friday 5-9 February: 1st Test – India v England, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Saturday 13-17 February: 2nd Test – India v England, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Wednesday 24-28 February: 3rd Test - India v England, Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
Thursday 4-8 March: 4th Test – India v England, Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
T20Is
Friday 12 March: 1st T20I – India v England, Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
Sunday 14 March: 2nd T20I – India v England, Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
Tuesday 16 March: 3rd T20I - India v England, Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
Thursday 18 March: 4th T20I - India v England, Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
Saturday 20 March: 5th T20I - India v England, Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad
ODIs
Tuesday 23 March: 1st ODI - India v England, MCA Stadium, Pune
Friday 26 March: 2nd ODI - India v England, MCA Stadium, Pune
Sunday 28 March: 3rd ODI - India v England, MCA Stadium, Pune
Monday 29 March: Touring party departs India