Joe Root and Virat Kohli
Two months after the heartbreaking loss at the Hampshire Bowl in Southampton, Virat Kohli-led Team India will begin the proceedings for the second cycle of the World Test Championship, playing the opener against England in a five-Test series starting August.
According to ESPNCricinfo, the second cycle will be spanning August 2021 to June 2023. The schedule and venue for the final are yet to be decided by the ICC.
The second cycle will comprise only two five-Test series - the Ashes in December being the other. The Border-Gavaskar series in India in 2022 will be the only four-Test series.
The second cycle too will feature nine teams, with each playing six series: three home and three away - which were previously finalised in 2018 by all the members as part of the 2019-23 Future Tours Programme.
India's home campaign will begin with the New Zealand series, which will also mark the start of Blackcaps' title-defense campiagn. They will also face Sri Lanka an Australia at home. South Africa and Bangladesh will be their other overseas series.
England will be playing the most Test matches (21), followed by India's 19. New Zealand, the winners of the inaugural title, will play only 13 Tests.
