Board of Control for Cricket in India vice-president Lalit Modi on Tuesday said the first cricket Test between England and India will be held as per the schedule and Mahendra Singh Dhoni will lead the team as it is not a "rational" proposition to postpone the match in view of the Champions League final.
The BCCI had suggested postponing the Test by a day, to December 12, so that Dhoni could play the Twenty20 Champions League day-night final on December 10 while also making it to the first match against England, but Modi ruled out such a possibility.
Modi said it is not certain if Chennai Super Kings will reach the final and even if they do, Dhoni will represent India in the December 11-15 match instead of playing in the December 10 day-night Twenty Champions League final.
"No such thing will happen. We looked at rationalizing the schedule but it's not possible," he said.
"We don't even know if Chennai will be in the final, because the Champions League is yet to start. But whatever happens, Dhoni will definitely play in the first Test, starting as scheduled on December 11," he added.
India's proposal did not go down well with the ECB with chairman Giles Clarke and Chief Executive David Collier telling Modi as much during a meeting in India over the weekend to resolve England players' participation in next year's IPL.
The postponement had its own problems with the teams getting only two days to recover before the second Test, to be played in Mumbai from December 19.
Professional Cricketers' Association Chief Executive Sean Morris welcomed Modi's comments.
"This preserves the sanctity of Test cricket," he was quoted as saying by BBC Sport.
