England is set to commence a demanding year of Test cricket with a five-match series in India, continuing their impressive 'Bazball' revolution in the subcontinent.

Since Brendon McCullum assumed leadership of the Test team in 2022, England has maintained an undefeated record in Test series, both at home and away. They have secured four victories and three draws, boasting an overall Test win-loss record of 14 victories and six defeats during this period.

The upcoming six-week tour of India is expected to be a rigorous test for the 'new England.' In their last tour to India, they suffered a 3-1 defeat, winning the initial Test but losing the next three heavily by 317 runs, 10 wickets, and an innings and 25 runs respectively. Since their significant 2-1 victory in 2012-13, England has struggled in India, winning only one out of nine Tests, losing seven, and drawing one.

The tour follows England's white-ball side concluding their year with a T20 and one-day international tour of the West Indies.

The five-Test series is scheduled to run from January 25, 2024, until March 11, 2024, assuming the final Test goes the full five days. The matches will be held in various Indian cities, with start times at 4 am Greenwich Mean Time:

• January 25–29: 1st Test in Hyderabad
• February 2–6: 2nd Test in Visakhapatnam
• February 15–19: 3rd Test in Rajkot
• February 23-27: 4th Test in Ranchi
• March 7–11: 5th Test in Dharamsala

England's squad for the tour includes three debutants, with 20-year-old Somerset offspinner Shoaib Bashir being a surprising inclusion. The other two uncapped players at the Test level are Lancashire left-arm spinner Tom Hartley and Surrey fast bowler Gus Atkinson. Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed is also part of the team, along with the returning Jack Leach, who provides an additional spin option. Seam-bowling options include James Anderson, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood, and Gus Atkinson.

Recent Test encounters between India and England have been closely contested:

India in England (2021)

• August: Match drawn
• August: India won by 151 runs
• August: England won by an innings and 76 runs
• September: India won by 157 runs
• July 2022 (match delayed by Covid): England won by seven wickets

England in India (2021)

• February: England won by 227 runs
• February: India won by 317 runs
• February: India won by 10 wickets
• March: India won by an innings and 25 runs

As England embarks on this crucial tour, the cricketing world eagerly awaits to witness if the 'Bazball' revolution can withstand the challenges posed by the Indian subcontinent.