International cricket will resume after a long gap of 117 days but in a very different form as hosts England lock horn with West Indies in the first of the 3-match Test series at the Aegis Bowl in Southampton later in the day. The series will usher in a new era of sorts as it will be the first bilateral one to be played on the international circuit after the coronavirus pandemic led to disruption of all of the cricketing calendar, with most bilateral engagements and multi-nation tournaments getting indefinitely postponed.
The Hampshire Test would be a landmark of sorts in international cricket as it marks the commencement of the sport in what is being dubbed as the 'new normal' amid the Covid-19 pandemic. It would for the very first time that the Test would be played without spectators in a bio secure environment.
The Eng vs WI first Test series will witness no spectators in the stadiums, no usage of saliva on the red cherry, no hugging, no high-fives and hand santizers placed nearby the boundary ropes.
England will be led for the very first time in Test cricket by all-rounder Ben Stokes as they would be without the services of their seasoned skipper Joe Root. Meanwhile the West Indies will be skippered by their seasoned captain Jason Holder.
England are currently ranked fourth in the ICC rankings, the West Indies are pretty much in the bottom of the table, placed at the eight spot.
West Indies won the last series between the sides in 2018-19 on home soil, but have not won a series in England since 1988. They will be looking to end the drought as cricket takes its first baby steps towards getting back on the field.