Venues for India’s Test series in West Indies announced
Dec 31, 2018 at 2:04 PM
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) had announced a four-Test series in July but no details have come from either board. But we can tell you that the two boards have formally agreed upon the venues. But dates are yet to be fixed.
According to information coming from the Caribbean, the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua will be the venue for the first Test with Darren Sammy National Stadium hosting the second Test. This was previously known as Beausejour Stadium, which is located near Gros Islet, St Lucia.
The third Test will be played at Queen’s Park Oval, the oldest and the largest stadium in the Carribean. The ground in Port of Spain incidentally is one of the luckiest grounds for India in the islands.
The fourth and the final Test will be at Sabina Park in Jamaica, the home ground f Chris Gayle although the hard-hitting opener unlikely to play the series as Wes Indies board barred them from playing the upcoming tri-series involving Austra, South Africa, and the West Indies in July.
The venues are finalized during a meeting between BCCI recce team and WICB officials yesterday. The two member recce team led by BCCI general manager MV Sridhar has been camping in the West Indies, inspecting the venues and hotels.
The dates have not yet been finalized but the first Test in Antigua should start around July 20-21.
WICB officials thew news of venues to Mid Day. A couple of tour game are being planned but the WICB official said there is no information if there will be one in between the Tests.
It will be the first tour to the Caribbean for Virat Kohli as skipper but he has played Tests in the West Indies. Kohli, who has played 41 Tests so far, in fact, debuted in Kingston, Jamaica, in June 2011.
As has been reported, the Test series will clash with Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the West Indies’ own version of IPL and the pitches are unlikely to be as bouncy as they used to be in the past.