'Should be a Good Series': Ravichandran Ashwin Elated to Have Vizag, Rajkot as Venues For England Tests. Here’s Why

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday announced the schedule for Team India’s home fixtures for the 2023-24 season. Along with some limited-overs assignments, the roster includes a five-match Test series against England which will be hosted in January-March next year. The big-ticket red-ball clashes will take place in Hyderabad, Vizag, Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamshala respectively.

Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin seems to have loved the venue selection for the England series. After the schedule was released, he was quick to underline the involvement of Vizag and Rajkot, which hosted two games when England last time toured India for a five-Test series in 2016-17.

“Vizag and Rajkot hold status quo. Should be a good series,” Ashwin tweeted.

A section of Indian fans though left surprised as some iconic Test venues of the country including Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai won’t host a single match of the England series. Calling out BCCI Secretary Jay Shah, a fan made a stern remark, commenting, “Test matches should be centralised to 5-6 places including Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Dharamshala and Bengaluru.”

Another fan was also left disappointed after not finding the names of “Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai stadiums which have produced iconic matches in Indian cricket history.” “They might not get enough time to prepare after the ODI World Cup,” he assumed.

A fan opined that the BCCI should make some venues dedicated only to Test cricket. “Premium test matches will be played in obscure venues. This is why test match cricket doesn’t get crowds in India,” he commented.

Under the captaincy of Virat Kohli, India put up a dominant performance against England in the 2016-17 series. The opening Test was played in Vizag which ended in a draw. The subsequent game in Rajkot turned out to be a one-sided affair, with India registering a 246-run victory.

In the second Test, Ravichandran Ashwin was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts as he grabbed a five-wicket haul in England’s first innings before taking three wickets in the second. The Indian brigade continued their dominance in the subsequent fixtures as well and ultimately, won the home series 4-0.

After that humiliating defeat in 2016-17, England travelled to India to play four Tests in 2018 and lost the series 3-1. Later in 2021, England hosted India for a five-match Test series. Kohli & Co took a 2-1 lead before the last game was postponed due to a Covid-19 outburst in the visitor’s camp. The fifth Test was played in 2022, under Jasprit Bumrah’s leadership, and England won the game at Edgbaston to end the series 2-2.