India will visit England for a five-match Test series in 2021.
The games will be played in August and September at Trent Bridge, Lord's, Headingley, the Oval and Old Trafford.
The ECB is hoping to be able to stage the fixtures across the country rather than with the bio-secure venues seen this summer due to Coronavirus protocols.
That will all come down to the situation at the time of the Indian cricket team‘s visit.
The first match will be held at Trent Bridge from August 4-8, the second at Lord’s from August 12-16, the third at Headingley from August 25-29, the fourth at the Oval from September 2-6, and the fifth at Old Trafford from September 10-14.
India’s visit will bring the curtain down on England’s international summer and is part of a provisional fixture list drawn up for 2021 by the ECB.
Virat Kohli’s men, who lost the last Test tour 4-1 back in 2018, will arrive after England have also hosted Sri Lanka for three ODIs from June and Pakistan for three ODIs and three T20Is in July.
England's Home Summer Schedule for 2021
The ECB is also hoping to add bilateral fixtures with Sri Lanka as soon as they know more about ICC plans for the World Test Championship Final. That is currently scheduled to be at Lord’s in June.
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 29/06/2020 | England v Sri Lanka 1st ODI | Emirates Riverside, Durham |
| 01/07/2020 | England v Sri Lanka 2nd ODI | Kia Oval |
| 04/07/2020 | England v Sri Lanka 3rd ODI | Bristol County Ground |
| 08/07/2020 | England v Pakistan 1st ODI | Sophia Gardens, Cardiff |
| 10/07/2020 | England v Pakistan 2nd ODI | Lord's |
| 13/07/2020 | England v Pakistan 3rd ODI | Edgbaston |
| 16/07/2020 | England v Pakistan 1st T20I | Trent Bridge |
| 18/07/2020 | England v Pakistan 2nd T20I | Headingley |
| 20/07/2020 | England v Pakistan 3rd T20I | Old Trafford |
| Aug 4-8 | England v India 1st Test | Trent Bridge |
| Aug 12-16 | England v India 2nd Test | Lord's |
| Aug 25-29 | England v India 3rd Test | Headingley |
| Sep 2-6 | England v India 4th Test | Kia Oval |
| Sep 10-14 | England v India 5th Test | Old Trafford |
India Series is Centrepiece of Summer
ECB Chief Executive Officer, Tom Harrison, said: “We had an amazing summer of international cricket this year with some memorable performances. We know how much enjoyment it brought to people whilst staying at home.
“Next year we've got another big international programme to look forward to, with the thrill of a five-Test series against India as the centrepiece.
“It's an exciting prospect for England fans, and while COVID-19 means there's still a great deal of uncertainty, we really hope to be able to welcome fans back into the grounds safely next year to bring that unique atmosphere to stadia across the country.”
England Also Heading to Pakistan
Meanwhile, England will visit Pakistan for the first time in 16 years when they play two T20Is in October.
They have not toured since the attack by gunmen on the Sri Lanka team in Lahore in 2009.
The Pakistan Cricket Board invited England to tour in early 2021 after Pakistan went there in the summer to play matches in a bio-secure bubble.
However, those plans didn't materialise and two T20s will be played in Karachi on 14 and 15 October instead.
The fixtures will form part of preparations for the T20 World Cup, with both teams leaving for India the following day.
