LONDON: The hallowed Lord’s, iconic Oval, seamer-friendly Headingley are among the five centres where Indian cricket team will play its Test matches during its 2025 tour, England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Wednesday.

The ECB announced its home calendar for the seven-year cycle between 2025-2031 involving its men’s and women’s teams. According to the ICC FTP, India is set to tour England for five Tests in June 2025 and ECB said in a release that these matches will be played at Lord’s, The Oval (both in London), Edgbaston (Birmingham), Headingley (Leeds) and the Old Trafford (Manchester) for the Pataudi Trophy.

The Rose Bowl in Southampton, where India lost the first World Test Championship final to New Zealand two years ago, replaces Headingley as a venue for the series in 2029, while the other four venues — Lord’s, The Oval, Edgbaston and Old Trafford — remain the same. “By announcing arrangements for the next seven years, we are also giving venues long-term certainty so that they can invest sustainably into stadium improvements and improved fan experiences,” said Richard Gould, ECB CEO.

India is the only side apart from Australia against whom England play five Tests in a series, both home and away. England’s next tour of India will be in January 2024 for a five-Test affair, which will be played for the Anthony de Mello Trophy.

India and England have been playing five matches in a Test series since 2014, with the exception of England’s tour of India 2020-21 when one Test was reduced to accommodate limited-overs series, which was postponed due to the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic.