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The BCCI and ECB have confirmed that the first Test between England and India in Ahmedabad will get underway as scheduled on December 11, despite a request from the Indian board to delay the start by a day to avoid a potential clash of dates with the final of the inaugural Champions League in Chennai.

At the crux of the issue was the participation of India’s captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He is the only player on either side who is involved with the Twenty20 tournament, but as captain of the Chennai Super Kings, he would be forced to miss the day-night final on December 10 should his team make it that far.

India had proposed that the Test should be delayed by a day to enable Dhoni to make the 1100-mile journey from Chennai to Ahmedabad, but according to Lalit Modi, the vice president of the BCCI, that prospect has now been ruled out. “No such thing will happen,” he told BBC Sport. “We looked at rationalising the schedule but it’s not possible.”

The ECB, who are keen to be seen as defenders of the primacy of Test cricket, were against the proposal, as the chairman, Giles Clarke, and chief executive, David Collier, told Modi at a meeting over the weekend. The date change was also unpalatable for logistical reasons. A delayed start would have given the teams only two days to recover before the second Test at Mumbai on December 19, as well as disrupted the travel plans of hundreds of England fans who have booked their air fares for the series.

“We don’t even know if Chennai will be in the final, because the Champions League is yet to start,” said Modi. “But whatever happens, Dhoni will definitely play in the first Test, starting as scheduled on December 11.”

Sean Morris, chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, welcomed Modi’s comments. “This preserves the sanctity of Test cricket,” he told BBC Sport.

Source:Cricket News

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