AFTER a tough 2020 on and off the field, England's Test side are hoping for better things in the New Year.

Joe Root's men were only able to play nine Test matches in the last 12 months, winning six of those in series against South Africa, Pakistan and West Indies

With The Ashes in Australia coming up at the end of 2021, England will be hoping to gain some momentum before heading Down Under.

England cricket fixtures 2021

It's set to be a busy year for England, with a packed winter schedule for welcoming Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka for home fixtures in the summer.

Currently, the Ashes 2021-22 schedule hasn't been released but we'll update you with those dates when we have them.

Here's how 2021 is shaping across the Test, T20 and ODI formats:

Winter dates

Sri Lanka Test series (away)

• 1st Test, Galle – Thursday, January 14 to Monday, January 18 (4.30am GMT)
• 2nd Test, Galle – Friday, January 22 to Tuesday, January 26 (4.30am GMT)

India Test series (away)

• 1st Test, Chennai – Friday, February 5 to Tuesday, February 9 (4am GMT)
• 2nd Test, Chennai – Saturday, February 13 to Wednesday, February 24 (4am GMT)
• 3rd Test, Ahmedabad – Wednesday, February 24 to Sunday, February 28 (9am GMT)
• 4th Test, Ahmedabad – Thursday, March 4 to Monday, March 8 (4am GMT)

India T20 series (away)

• 1st T20, Ahmedabad – Friday, March 12 (1.30pm GMT)
• 2nd T20, Ahmedabad – Sunday, March 14 (1.30pm GMT)
• 3rd T20, Ahmedabad – Tuesday, March 16 (1.30pm GMT)
• 4th T20, Ahmedabad – Thursday, March 18 (1.30pm GMT)
• 5th T20, Ahmedabad – Saturday, March 20 (1.30pm GMT)

India ODI series (away)

• 1st ODI, Pune – Tuesday, March 23 (8am GMT)
• 2nd ODI, Pune – Friday, March 26 (8am GMT)
• 3rd ODI, Pune – Sunday, March 28 (8am GMT)

Summer dates

Sri Lanka ODI series (home)

• 1st ODI, Chester-le-Street – Tuesday, June 29 (11am BST)
• 2nd ODI, The Oval – Thursday, July 1 (1pm BST)
• 3rd ODI, Bristol – Sunday, July 4 (11am BST)

Pakistan ODI series (home)

• 1st ODI, Cardiff – Thursday, July 8 (1pm BST)
• 2nd ODI, Lord's – Saturday, July 10 (11am BST)
• 3rd ODI, Edgbaston – Tuesday, July 13 (1pm BST)

Pakistan T20 series (home)

• 1st T20, Trent Bridge – Friday, July 16 (6.30pm BST)
• 2nd T20, Headingley – Sunday, July 18 (6.30pm BST)
• 3rd T20, Old Trafford – Tuesday, July 20 (6.30pm BST)

India Test series (home)

• 1st Test, Trent Bridge – Wednesday, August 4 to Sunday, August 8 (11am BST)
• 2nd Test, Lord's – Thursday, August 12 to Monday, August 16 (11am BST)
• 3rd Test, Headingley – Wednesday, August 25 to Sunday, August 29 (11am BST)
• 4th Test, The Oval – Thursday, September 2 to Monday, September 6 (11am BST)
• 5th Test, Old Trafford – Friday, September 10 to Tuesday, September 14 (11am BST)

Pakistan T20 series (away)

• 1st T20, Karachi – Thursday, October 14 (2pm BST)
• 2nd T20, Karachi – Friday, October 15 (2pm BST)

Which TV channel and live stream can I watch it on?

To watch England play in the UK, you'll need to have Sky Sports Cricket.

Sky have exclusive rights to show every ball of England's matches in 2021.

Highlights on free-to-air TV are available on Channel 5.

If you don't have Sky, you can purchase a NOW TV pass from £9.99 to stream the action on a number of devices.

Source: Read Full Article