England and Sri Lanka will lock horns in a two-match Test series slated to begin from January 14 next year, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Wednesday. The England series against Sri Lanka was postponed in March this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the rearranged tour will now be held behind closed doors in Galle. The first Test will get underway on January 14 while the second Test will be played from January 22 to 26. “The England and Wales Cricket Board and Sri Lanka Cricket have agreed to biosecurity and travel plans for what is a rearranged tour following the postponement in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” ECB said in an official statement

England will depart on a chartered flight on January 2 and will be subject to quarantine in Hambantota. During this period, the team will be able to train and prepare for five days from January 5-9, at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium.

The two-match Test series forms part of the ICC World Test Championship. This will be England’s penultimate series in the inaugural tournament, and they hope to conclude their campaign against India in February, subject to confirmation of the India tour schedule

Earlier this week, the three-match ODI series between England and South Africa was postponed after some positive COVID-19 cases were reported. While a Proteas player tested positive before the first ODI on December 4, two members of the hotel staff tested positive on December 6 and as a result, the postponed opening ODI had to be cancelled.

On the same day, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said there were two members of its touring party who returned with unconfirmed positive COVID results. As a result, a day later, the ODI series was called off. However, it was later confirmed that those two members of England’s touring party were not diagnosed with having coronavirus.