India-Bangladesh Test scheduled for February

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed that the lone home Test match against Bangladesh will be staged between 8th and 12th February 2017 in Hyderabad.

This game will be the first Test match Bangladesh will play in India since gaining their Test status in the year 2000.

The news was confirmed by the BCCI president Anurag Thakur, who welcomed Bangladesh for the “historic” game.

“As a leading Test playing nation it is BCCI’s responsibility to give opportunity to every Test playing nation.

“It is my pleasure to announce the historic one-off Test match against our neighbours - Bangladesh early next year.

“This will be a great addition to our home season 2016-17.”

The chief of the Bangladesh Cricket Board Nazmul Hassan is expecting a keenly contested match between the two sides, given their recent history in the limited overs formats.

“For the cricketers who will be representing Bangladesh and India this will be a much-anticipated game and, given the competitive nature of their limited-overs matches in the recent past, I believe the clash between these two cricket crazy nations will catch the imagination.

“The long wait for us to play a Test match on Indian soil is finally over and this is a time for celebration.”

India are scheduled to play a total of 13 home Test matches in 2016-17, equalling their own record for the most number of home games in the longer format in a single season, which was set in 1979-80.

© Cricket World 2016