England will have to make do with only three days of net practice before the first Test against India, which starts in Chennai on February 5.

Both teams will have to go through six days of quarantine at Hotel Leela Palace in Chennai.

The first two Tests will be played behind closed doors at the MA Chidambaram Stadium before the series moves to Ahmedabad for the final two matches. The third Test will be a Day-Night encounter, starting on February 24.

According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, those players making the trip from Sri Lanka to India will fly to Chennai on Wednesday where they will be quarantined for six days, emerging on February 2 to practise outdoors.

Ben Stokes, Rory Burns and Jofra Archer arrived in India on Sunday night by a commercial flight from London and will be released from quarantine on Saturday. This will allow them five days’ practice before the Test, two of which will be while their teammates are still isolating.

England are hopeful their players will be allowed to leave their rooms after three days and use the hotel gym on an individual basis. They will be given an hour’s slot but with no mixing allowed.

All players and support staff will be tested thrice for Covid-19 over six days.

England players were allowed to train in Sri Lanka within 48 hours of their arrival with only Moeen Ali returning a positive test upon landing.

In South Africa, they were able to leave the hotel and practise at Newlands within a day of arriving in the country.

It will be the first international series to be held in India amid the pandemic.

England have a full-time Covid officer on tour.