England have agreed to play a sixth one-day match during their series against India in January in return for the Indians playing a fourth Test during their tour to England next summer The announcement ends a long-running dispute between the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Indian cricket board (BCCI) which had threatened India's Test series in England next summer. "England has confirmed it will play an additional one-day game," said BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya. "The series will now start on January 19, with the first game to be played in Calcutta. The ECB has realised the importance of playing an extra match and it will help strengthen cricketing relations between the two countries," he added. The second one-day international will now be played in Cuttack on January 22, followed by matches in Madras on January 25, Kanpur on January 28, New Delhi on January 31 and Mumbai on February 3.

In return, the ECB says it has written agreement that India will play four Tests and take part in a triangular one-day competition, also involving Sri Lanka.

The only remaining point of contention surrounds England's next tour of India which is scheduled to take place in 2005-06. The BCCI want a five –Test series but the ECB are keen to stick to the existing three-Test format. But Dalmiya implied that an agreement had already been brokered. "England will ... participate in extra matches on their tour of India in 2006. They will either play four Tests and five one-dayers or three Tests and a tri-series."

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