India vs England: Five-match Test series to kick off 2nd World Test Championship

Team India players (Source: Twitter)

The five-match Test series between India and England beginning on August 4 will start the second cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC).

India and England will be locking horns in the first Test from August 4 while Australia will play England in five Tests later this year in Ashes.

According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, these tours will be the only two series having five Test matches in the second WTC cycle.

As per the report, Australia will tour India in 2021 for four Tests. The ICC has not yet decided on the schedule and the venue for the summit clash.

Teams will play three home and as many away series and the tours which were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the opening WTC cycle will not be carried forward.

India will play 19 Tests while Australia and South Africa will lock horns in 15 matches. England will compete in 21 Tests the most by any team in the second WTC cycle.

ICC has decided to give each Test the same number of points. A tie will give each team six points while a draw will earn them four. 12 points will be given to the winning team for each match while one point can be deducted for slow over rates.

"Instead of each series being worth the same number of points, 120, irrespective of whether the series is played over two Tests or five Tests, the next cycle will see each match being worth the same number of points - a maximum of 12 per match," ESPNcricinfo quoted ICC's acting chief executive officer Geoff Allardice as saying.

"Teams will be ranked on the percentage of available points they won from the matches they have played.

"The aim was to try and simplify the points system and to allow teams to be meaningfully compared on the table at any point, though they may have played differing numbers of matches and series," he said.