India vs Sri Lanka 2021-22: T20Is preponed, Bengaluru Test to be day-night affair

India and Windies clash in three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) from Sunday. Following the tour, Sri Lanka visits India for three T20Is and a couple of Tests from February 25. However, the schedule for the Lanka tour has been rejigged by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The tour was initially supposed to get underway with the Tests, followed by the T20Is. However, the T20Is have been preponed following a request by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). The proposal was made to allow a smooth bubble-to-bubble transfer of the Lanka T20I squad from Australia, reports ESPNCricinfo. The T20Is will be played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala and Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali.

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However, rescheduling the Test now means Virat Kohli will be missing out on his 100th Test at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The opening Test will now be held in Mohali, which will be his 100th, followed by the second Test in Bengaluru. Also, the latter one will be a day-night affair.

The BCCI refrained from hosting the D/N Test in Mohali due to the prolonged winter in northern India that leads to heavy fog and dew. Also, Bengaluru has direct connectivity to Colombo, allowing the Lankans to fly home directly without a stopover. It would be the third D/N Test in India, having hosted against Bangladesh and England before, which India won.