India to host New Zealand, England this year

Thursday, 24 May 2012 00:40 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

MUMBAI (Reuters): India, traditionally poor tourists, will have an opportunity to improve their test rankings when they host New Zealand and current top-ranked test team England either side of the Twenty20 World Cup in September.

New Zealand will play two tests in India in August before taking on the hosts in two Twenty20 internationals as part of their preparations for the World Cup.

The fourth Twenty20 World Cup will be played in Asia for the first time when Sri Lanka hosts the tournament from Sept. 18 to Oct. 7.

England, who replaced India as the number one test side last year, will play four tests and two Twenty20 matches before flying home for Christmas.

The visitors will return in the new year to play a five-match one-day international series.

50-over World Champions India had a poor overseas record last season, when they suffered 4-0 whitewashes in test series in England and Australia.

The first test against New Zealand will take place in Hyderabad from Aug. 23 with the second starting on Aug. 30 in Bangalore.

The Twenty20 matches take place in Vishakhapatnam (Sept. 8) and Chennai (Sept. 11).

The Blackcaps lost their last series in India 1-0 in 2010 and are ranked eighth in the ICC test rankings, while India have slumped to fourth after the calamitous tours of England and Australia over the last year.

England will play three practice matches giving them ample time to adjust to the slow Indian pitches before the first test starts in Ahmedabad on Nov. 15.

Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium will host the second test from Nov. 23, followed by the third test at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on Dec. 5. Nagpur will host the last test from Dec. 13.

World Twenty20 champions England will play two T20 internationals on Dec. 20 and 22 before leaving for home. The first ODI will be played on Jan. 11 with the last match of the series on Jan. 27.

India will also host Australia in Feb-March next year for a four-test series, the schedule of which will be finalised soon, the Indian cricket board said.