THE Ageas Bowl will stage its third Test match at August 2018, when India play the fourth of their five-match series against England.

England will visit West End from August 30 - September 3 for their first Test on Botley Road since beating India by 266 runs in July 2014.

The 2018 schedule, released yesterday by the England and Wales Cricket Board, also revealed that a Test match will start on a Saturday for the first time in 63 years.

The Saturday start - in the third Test against India at Trent Bridge on August 18 - will be England's first since they took on South Africa at The Oval in 1955.

The international fixture list announced by the England and Wales Cricket Board also confirms there will, as expected, be no day-night Test next year.

England's five-match one-day international series and one-off Twenty20 against Australia will take meetings between both countries, across the formats, up to a possible 19 in just seven months following the 2017-18 Ashes and limited-overs series down under.

Number one-ranked Test side India arrive for three Twenty20s and three one-day internationals and then only their second five-match series here in 59 years.

Pakistan will also be in England next summer, for two Tests in late May and early June while Australia's limited-overs tour will take place between June 13 and 27.

After England begin their summer against Pakistan, they will then have an ODI against Scotland in Edinburgh on June 10.

There will be no immediate follow-up to England's inaugural day-night Test - at Edgbaston last month - against opponents hailing from a time zone which would have made broadcast of floodlit matches from this country less than appealing.

The fixtures confirmed by ECB also extend to the two domestic finals, with the one-day cup showpiece at Lord's on June 30 and the NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day held as usual at Edgbaston but on the later date of September 15.

ECB chief executive Tom Harrison is looking forward to welcoming next summer's opponents.

He said: '"A five-Test series against India is at the heart of next summer's international programme.

"This is always a much-anticipated contest which attracts a huge following across the globe for the five-day game.

"Test match cricket has a strong, consistent and passionate following across England and Wales - and the seven summer Tests, starting with the Pakistan matches, are sure to attract good crowds.

"Alongside these, England's white-ball contests against India, Australia and Scotland will give a fascinating guide to form ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup, to be staged here in 2019."