England might avoid a rematch with Jasprit Bumrah in Rajkot next week, as India is reportedly considering resting him for the third Test.

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli is unlikely to feature in the series at all, after missing the first two matches for “personal reasons".

The specific reasons for his unavailability remain undisclosed. India leveled the series with a strong performance in the second Test. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s double century set the stage, while Bumrah’s impressive nine-wicket haul sealed the victory. This came after England secured the first match, thanks to Ollie Pope’s remarkable 196 and Tom Hartley’s seven wickets in the second innings.

England vs. India Test Series Updates

The hosts are set to announce their squad for the next two Tests by the end of the week. England’s players, meanwhile, are currently enjoying a break with their families in Abu Dhabi.

Full Fixture List and Schedule

(All times in UK)

1st Test: January 25–29, Hyderabad – England won by 28 runs

2nd Test: February 2–6, Visakhapatnam – India won by 106 runs

3rd Test: February 15–19, Rajkot (4am start)

4th Test: February 23–27, Ranchi (4am start)

5th Test: March 7–11, Dharamsala (4am start)

Broadcast Details

In the UK, TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport) broadcasts the series after securing rights shortly before the first Test. Matches are also available on discovery+, with commentary provided by Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan through the world feed.

For the remainder of the series, Alastair Cook and Steven Finn are offering in-studio analysis from Sweden, hosted by Kate Mason. Live radio coverage is provided by Talksport 2, which outbid the BBC for the rights. Talksport’s commentary team operates primarily from London, with a smaller team on-site in Rajkot and Ranchi.

England Squad Updates

England’s 16-player squad features seasoned campaigners like Joe Root and James Anderson alongside newcomers such as Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley. Harry Brook, initially unavailable due to personal reasons, has been replaced by Dan Lawrence. Jack Leach missed the second Test due to injury.

England Squad

Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Shoaib Bashir, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood, Dan Lawrence.

India Squad Updates

India entered the series as the top-ranked Test team but has faced injury setbacks. Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul were ruled out of the second Test, with Virat Kohli also unavailable for personal reasons.

India Squad for the First Two Tests

Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), KS Bharat (wicketkeeper), Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Avesh Khan.

Additional players: Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Sourabh Kumar, Washington Sundar.

Venues and Capacities

Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad – Capacity: 55,000

Dr. YS Rajashekar Reddy ACA–VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam – Capacity: 40,000

Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot – Capacity: 28,000

Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium, Ranchi – Capacity: 50,000

Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala – Capacity: 23,000

Recent Test Results Between the Teams

England in India (2021):

England won by 227 runs

India won by 317 runs

India won by 10 wickets

India won by an innings and 25 runs

India in England (2021-2022):

Match drawn

India won by 151 runs

England won by an innings and 76 runs

India won by 157 runs

England won by seven wickets (July 2022, delayed match).

Stay tuned for more updates as the series progresses!