London, Dec 9 (IANS): England will be playing two Test matches against Sri Lanka behind closed doors in Galle next month, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) stated on Wednesday while confirming the schedule for the re-arranged series which will be a part of the ICC Test Championship.

The first Test will commence on January 14-18 while the second Test will begin from January 22-26 at the Galle International Stadium.

The tour was due to take place in March, but was cut short during the warm-up games following the coronavirus outbreak.

The England touring party will depart on a chartered flight on January 2 and will be subject to quarantine in Hambantota. During this period, the team will be able to train and prepare for five days from January 5-9 at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium.

This will be England's penultimate series in the ICC Test Championship, and they hope to conclude their campaign against India in February, subject to confirmation of the India tour schedule. England are currently placed third in the ICC Test Championship standings, behind Australia and India.

England's last completed tour of Sri Lanka took place in November 2018, when they won a three-Test series 3-0.