England under Ben Stokes departs India following a defeat in the second Test in Visakhapatnam

Before travelling back to India in time for the third Test, the England cricket team is scheduled to engage in some leisure activities, including golf, in Abu Dhabi.The English cricket team made the decision to depart India and travel to Abu Dhabi following their 106-run defeat in the second Test in Visakhapatnam. Similar to the Hyderabad series opener, the second game in Visakhapatnam concluded in four days with the home team, India, squaring the series with a dominant all-around display. Nine days remain until the third Test in Rajkot, so the Ben Stokes-led team decided it would be best to spend the time unwinding.

The England players, under the leadership of captain Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, feel that the break will allow them to recover and continue their attempt to emulate what the Alastair Cooks team accomplished in 2012.Rather than travel early to the subcontinent for warm-up matches, England held a lengthy conditioning camp in Abu Dhabi ahead of the much awaited Test series against India.