West Indies will travel to India in November for two Tests and three
one-day internationals, the WICB confirmed on Tuesday night. The dates
and venues of the matches are yet to be announced. The second Test is
set to be Sachin Tendulkar's 200th.
The Tests are expected to be played in Mumbai and Kolkata, with
Tendulkar's hometown Mumbai hosting his 200th, an unprecedented number
of Tests in a career - with 198, Tendulkar is already 30 matches ahead of the No. 2s, Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh. Reportedly, though, Kolkata has requested it host the landmark Test.
The series means India's much-anticipated tour to South Africa will have
to be trimmed. It was due to begin with a tour game on November 18, but
if India are to fit in five matches against West Indies after the
Australia ODIs that end on November 2, it is unlikely
that the matches in South Africa could begin before November 30. That
tour was originally scheduled to include two T20s, seven ODIs and three
Tests, ending on January 19. Now, though, apart from beginning later, it
will also have to finish earlier as the itinerary for India's tour of
New Zealand begins with an ODI on January 19.
West Indies last toured India in November-December 2011. Back then, they
lost a three-match Test series 2-0 - the drawn third match was the
dramatic Mumbai Test
that ended with the scores level - and five-match ODI series 4-1. The
teams last met when India travelled to the Caribbean in June this year
for an ODI tri-series also involving Sri Lanka, which India won.
Following the India tour, West Indies have a full tour of New Zealand scheduled. They will play three Tests, five ODIs and two T20s in New Zealand, between December 3 and January 15.
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