The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that the Holkar Stadium in Indore will be hosting the third Test of the four-match series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy being played between India and Australia from March 1. The third Test was initially slated to be organised at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) ground in Dharamsala on the same dates.
The BCCI said in a media release on Monday,
“The third Test of the Australia tour of India for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, originally scheduled to take place at the HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala from 1st to 5th March has now been moved to Holkar Stadium, Indore.”
The release added,
“Owing to harsh winter conditions in the region, the outfield lacks sufficient grass density and will need some time to develop fully.”
Usually intense and fiery, the India-Australia series promises to be yet another thrilling watch for the cricket fraternity given that three more Test matches are left in the series and both these teams are vying for a spot in the final of the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23.
India need to beat Australia in at least three out of the four Test matches of the ongoing series to ensure a spot in the final, whereas the Pat Cummins-led team is all set to make its maiden appearance in the summit clash to be played in England sometime in the middle of this year.
According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, the BCCI had narrowed the choice to one among Indore or Rajkot as the host for the third Test, following an unfavourable report from its inspection panel from Dharamsala. The panel had visited Dharamsala on February 11 and noticed several bare patches on the outfield, which was relayed recently by the home cricket Association HPCA in order to install a new drainage system.
Since the work was carried out, Dharamsala as a venue has not hosted an international match with two T20Is between India and Sri Lanka in February this year being the last matches played here.
On the other hand, Indore’s Holkar Stadium has hosted two Test matches and India have won both of them comfortably. In the first ever Test match at this venue, India hammered New Zealand in November 2016 by a huge margin of 321 runs, whereas in the second Test match here in 2019, India recorded another massive victory by an innings and 130 runs against Bangladesh.
In the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2022-23, India are leading 1-0 having crushed Australia by an innings and 132 runs in the first Test at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha, Nagpur, last week.