India's tour of New Zealand advanced to January 2014

India’s NZ tour preponed

India’s tour of New Zealand has been preponed by a month. The tour of five ODIs and two Test matches would be played from mid-January. The tour itinerary is yet to be finalised.

New Zealand Cricket‘s release came a day after the BCCI’s working committee approved the tour. The tour will span from January 19 (1st ODI) to February 18 (end of 2nd Test).

Previously, the tour was scheduled to begin in early February, according to the ICC Future Tours Programme, but would now start two to three weeks earlier, eating into the time allotted for the South Africa tour.

In fact, according to the itinerary announced by Cricket South Africa in July, and objected to by the BCCI, the third and final Test in Johannesburg was to end on January 19, the day on which India would now be thousands of miles away playing against New Zealand.

New Zealand Cricket’s chief executive, David White told that NZC had finalised the dates only after discussions with the BCCI. White did not want to speculate on why the BCCI’s release on Sunday had not included the dates but confirmed both boards had worked together on the final itinerary.

As per Espncricinfo’s report, he said, “Those dates have been signed off with the BCCI. We had been in discussions just before the (BCCI) working committee meeting and worked through the dates and that was ratified at the meeting.”

He further added, “It’s brilliant that the Black Caps will be playing five ODIs against the world’s top one-day side given the proximity of the World Cup in 2015.”

India last toured New Zealand in February 2009 for two T20s followed by five ODIs and ending with three Tests. While New Zealand won both T20s, India took the ODIs 3-1 and the Tests 1-0.

Here is the full schedule: