04 June,2019 01:23 PM IST | | mid-day online desk
Virat Kohli having fun with teammates during a practice session
Bangladesh will play a series in India for the first time when they tour the neighbouring nation in November for three T20s and two Tests.
In a first, the BCCI on Monday announced the schedule of the entire home season which will comprise five Tests, nine ODIs and 12 T20s.
The three Tests against South Africa in October and two against Bangladesh will be part of the inaugural World Test Championship that begins after the 2019 World Cup.
The season will begin with South Africa arriving for three T20s and as many Tests starting September 15.
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What is noticeable in the entire schedule is India will not be playing a full-series comprising Tests, T20s and ODIs in one go. And that means that South Africa will return to play three ODIs in March 2020.
The series against Bangladesh will begin with the first T20 in Delhi. The two Tests will be played in Indore (November 14-18) and Kolkata (November 22-26).
Bangladesh had toured India for the first time in 2017 when they played a one-off Test in Hyderabad. They will also be one of the six sides India will play in the nine-team World Test Championship. The ICC has already made it clear that India and Pakistan will not be facing each other in the first cycle, unless they both make the final.
After Bangladesh's departure in the last week of November, India will face the West Indies in three T20s and as many ODIs starting December 6. The following month will see Zimbabwe touring India for three T20s between January 5-10.
Four days later, India play Australia in the first ODI of the three-match series. The BCCI and Cricket Australia had serious differences over the scheduling of the series but the Indian cricket board eventually had its way.
The home season will conclude in March with South Africa's ODI tour of India.
Complete breakdown of the home series fixtures:
Freedom Trophy - 2019 against South Africa:
1st T20I: September 15, Dharamsala
2nd T20I: September 18, Mohali
3rd T20I: September 22, Bengaluru
1st Test: October 2-6, Vizag
2nd Test: October 10-14, Ranchi
3rd Test: October 19-23, Pune
Bangladesh's Tour of India - 2019:
1st T20I: November 3, Delhi
2nd T20I: November 7, Rajkot
3rd T20I: November 10, Nagpur
1st Test: November 14-18, Indore
2nd Test: November 22-26, Kolkata
West Indies' Tour of India ¿ 2019:
1st T20I: December 6, Mumbai
2nd T20I: December 8, Thiruvananthapuram
3rd T20I: December 11, Hyderabad
1st ODI: December 15, Chennai
2nd ODI: December 18, Vizag
3rd ODI: December 22, Cuttack
Zimbabwe's Tour of India - 2020:
1st T20I: January 5, Guwahati
2nd T20I: January 7, Indore
3rd T20I: January 10, Pune
Australia's Tour of India - 2020:
1st ODI: January 14, Mumbai
2nd ODI: January 17, Rajkot
3rd ODI: January 19, Bengaluru.
India definitely has a packed home schedule at the end of 2019, but the only teams that will be able to challenge the Indian side maybe Australia and South Africa.
Virat Kohli looks set to captain the Indian team for the schedule.
