The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has declared Indore as the host for the third India vs Australia Test after Dharamsala was ruled out due to the ground not being ready. The statement from the BCCI said that the wintry conditions had led to the outfield of the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala not having enough grass and it would require some time to develop fully.
It also mentioned that the teams would travel to Indore for the third match of the four-Test series, commencing on 1st March, after the second Test in Delhi, which begins on 17th February. Rajkot and Indore were the two possible venues for the India vs Australia third Test after Dharamsala was ruled out by the BCCI inspection panel.
The inspection team visited the Dharamsala ground on 11th February and observed a number of barren areas in the outfield which had recently been renovated by the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association in order to install a new drainage system.
Additionally, the fact that no cricket had been played at the venue since the two T20Is between India and Sri Lanka last February was a further obstacle.
The Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore had hosted two Test matches prior to this tour, both of which India won comfortably against New Zealand and Bangladesh respectively. R Ashwin’s remarkable performance of bagging 18 wickets in the two Tests, including 13 for 140 against the Kiwis, along with Virat Kohli’s 211 in the same match, was instrumental in India’s success.
The Indian team is looking to keep up their dominance over the Aussies following their comprehensive victory in the first Test in Nagpur.