2019-2021 ICC World Test Championship: Indian National Cricket Team Full Schedule

Indian National Cricket team have started 2019 on a great note winning their first-ever Test series Down Under. They have won the series 2-1 with the final game of the series finishing in a draw at the Sydney. This is likely to be their last Test assignment before the ICC World Test Championship as the one-match Test series against Zimbabwe is in jeopardy due to a tight schedule.

India are among the nine teams taking part in the tournament that gets underway in July 2019 and goes all the way till June 2021. Each team in the tournament will play a Test series (irrespective of the number of matches) against six of the other eight teams. Each series should have at least two and a maximum of five matches. Out of the six series, three will be played at home and while the other three at an away venue.

In total, all the nations will play for 720 points while arch-rivals India and Pakistan will not play against each other in the first two editions, as said by ICC.

Points Calculation:

In a two-match Test series, each Test win is worth 60 points. A draw will have both sides getting 20 points each.

In a three-match Test series, the winning team will earn 40 points each. If the match ends in a draw, teams will receive 13.3 points each.

In a four-match Test series, the team winning a match will get 30 points while the teams will get 10 points if the match ends in a draw.

In a five-match Test series, the team winning a match will get 24 points. If a case of a draw arrives, the teams will get eight points each.

2019:

Windies (away)

India’s first assignment in the World Test Championship will be the tour to the Caribbean Island just after the World Cup. This will be India’s first away series in the tournament, and they will play the Windies in two Test matches as a part of the championship. They will also play three ODIs and three T20Is.

South Africa (home)

Indian National Cricket team will host South Africa in three Test matches later this year in the World Test Championship. Virat Kohli & Co have played the masterstroke deciding to take on South Africa at home keeping in view that they have struggled in the Rainbow Nation. This will also be India’s first assignment in the tournament at home.

The Proteas will be touring India just for the three-match Test series and will come back in February 2020 for the limited-overs leg.

Bangladesh (home)

India’s will be playing against Bangladesh who will be their final World Test Championship assignment of 2019 and again, India will host the neighbours in two Test matches followed by three T20Is in November.

2020:

Indian National Cricket team have generally struggled in the southern hemisphere and going by that this will be one of the challenging years for team India.

New Zealand (away)

India’s World Test Championship campaign in 2020 will kick off with a tour to New Zealand. The Indians will take on the Black Caps in a two-match Test series followed by three ODIs and as many as five T20Is.

Australia (away) – Dec-Jan

After a huge break after the New Zealand tour, Indian National Cricket team will travel to Australia again for yet another four-match Test series, this time for both Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the ICC World Test Championship.

The series is likely to get underway in December and go on till January. India will also play three ODIs on the tour.

2021:

Australia (away)

In all likelihood, India will kickstart their 2021 with the New Year’s Test at the SCG in Sydney as a part of the four-match Test series between India and Australia for the World Test Championship. This tour will mark an end to India’s away tournaments in the World Test Championship.

England (home)

Following their tiring tour Down Under, India will have their final World Test Championship assignments at home as they will be hosting England in a five-match Test series in February and March.

Final (TBD)

The final of the World Test Championship will have the top two teams in the league stage clashing against each other. The match is likely to take place in June 2021; however, ICC is yet to fix the venue.