INDIA TOUR OF WEST INDIES, 2016

Queen's Park Oval to host final India Test

by Cricbuzz Staff • Published on

Queen's Park Oval will be hosting the final Test during India's four Test tour of West Indies. © Cricbuzz

Test cricket is set to return to the hallowed Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain when India make their way to the Caribbean shores for a four-match Test series in mid-July, according to reports.

Trinidad and Tobago's Guardian media has reported that the venue will host the final Test with the other three to be held in Antigua's Sir Viv Richards Stadium, St. Lucia's Beausejour Cricket Ground and Jamaica's Sabina Park. The dates of the matches are yet to be confirmed, although the tour is expected to take place between mid-July to mid-August. Antigua is expected to host the first Test while St. Lucia and Jamaica will host the second and third respectively.

Guyana, a constant venue for Indian tours over the past - owning to the presence of a large Indian population - will miss out this time around as will Barbados's iconic Kensington Oval, but the two grounds along with Warner Park, Basse Terre, St. Kitts, will host the triangular series, featuring Australia and South Africa apart from the hosts, from June 3.

While the dates are yet to be determined, Guardian Media has said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are yet to ratify the dates sent to them by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). Part of the Future Tours Program (FTP), the series was in considerable doubt after India suspended bilateral relations with West Indies in 2014, after the visitors had pulled out mid-way of their India tour, owing to a payment dispute between the WICB and its players. Incensed over the withdrawal, India had slapped a $42 million notice and had kept all future bilateral series with West Indies on hold.

Recently, BCCI, under the chairmanship of Shashank Manohar, decided to waive off the debt and also announced its intentions of committing to the proposed FTP tour, consisting of four Tests. In exchange, West Indies are expected to travel to India in 2017 and complete their aborted tour.

© Cricbuzz

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