India vs England: BCCI in a fix as visitors 'Oppose' crowd attendance for 1st Test

The Indian team has hit the ground running with their preparations for the first of the four-match India vs England Test series. The players successfully underwent the mandatory six-day quarantine period which ended on Monday. The Men in Blue will start their net sessions from Tuesday (10 AM to 1 PM). The first Test is set to get underway on Friday, February 5 in Chennai.

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ECB seeks safety assurance from BCCI to allow crowd for 2nd Test, denies presence of fans for 1st Test

Notably, the match will be played behind closed doors after the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) raised objections on the presence of fans inside the stadium for the first match. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) wanted to permit a percentage of crowd for the series opener but after defiance from the ECB, they decided against it.

However, the second Test which is also set to be played in Chennai, will see 50 per cent crowd in attendance. Prior to the series, the ECB had demanded the Test series to be played behind closed doors. But according to a recent development, if India vs England 1st Test takes place without any issues and the ECB is assured of safety measures, then limited crowd and media could be allowed for the second Test. The BCCI now has a mammoth task on their hands to ensure that the first Test is played with absolute safety measures in place.

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Meanwhile, the third and fourth Tests of the series that are slated to be played in Ahmedabad will have the crowd in attendance. Notably, the third Test between India and England will be a Day-Night affair. As per an Insidesport report, a BCCI official while speaking to ANI reckoned that as a welcome sign for hundreds of cricket lovers, fans will be allowed to come into the stadium for the Motera Tests. The official also confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be invited for the first-ever Test match at Motera, after its renovation.

According to India vs England schedule, the Test series will be followed by a five-match T20I series that will be played in Ahmedabad on March 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20. On the other hand, the three ODIs will be played in Pune on March 23, 26 and 28.

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India squad for England Tests 2021: Virat Kohli (Captain), Ajinkya Rahane (Vice-captain), Rishabh Pant (Wicket-keeper), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, KL Rahul, Hardik, Wriddhiman Saha, R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur

England squad for India Tests 2021 (first 2 Tests): Joe Root (Captain), Ben Stokes (Vice-captain), Jos Buttler (Wicket-keeper), Jofra Archer, Moeen Ali, Rory Burns, Zak Crawley, James Anderson, Dom Bess, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Dom Sibley, Jack Leach

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SOURCE: PTI