West Indies, India tour dates released

West Indies will travel to India in November for two Tests and three one-day internationals, the WICB confirmed on Tuesday night.

The BCCI confirmed on Thursday that the tour would be between October 31 and November 27, including a three-day warm-up game.* The dates and venues will be announced shortly. 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.