The 3rd Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy between India & Australia, scheduled from March 1 to March 5, could be shifted out of Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, as the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association need more time to get the pitch ready for the match. The stadium in Dharamshala has went under a renovation, due to which, the stadium may not be fit to host an international game. The HPCA decided to relay the outfield and establish a new drainage system. It is now suspected that the outfield is still not ready for a match, and there are still plenty of bald patches in the stadium where the grass cover is yet to grow. The frequent rains in the region have also played a huge role in delaying the work, but the HPCA officials are hopeful they will prepare the pitch for the match.
“There is still some work that has to be done across the side area of the pitch. We are hoping that the things will be ready before the match. The HPCA will take a decision after the BCCI inspection. We have re-laid the whole surface with proper drainage and added the ground sprinkles. Some work is yet to be done, and as three weeks are left, we feel that the HPCA will complete the work,” a source in HPCA told..
BCCI is all set to take the final decision by the end of this week, as an internal team is ready to visit Dharamshala and inspect the stadium’s conditions. If the upcoming assessment fails to satisfy the investigative unit of BCCI, the third Border Gavaskar Trophy Test will be shifted to Mohali or Bengaluru.
The last time Dharamshala stadium hosted a Test match was in 2017 between India and Australia, where India won the game by eight wickets to secure a 2-1 victory in the series. Since then, they have been hosting ODIs and T20Is regularly.
