Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Feb 11: The third Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test between India and Australia, which is planned for March 1–5, may be moved since the recently renovated stadium in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, may not yet be ready to host international matches.
According to ESPNCricinfo, a decision on the matter will likely be made in the coming days based on the findings of an inspection that the board’s team of experts will conduct. In case Dharamshala cannot host the match, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already identified a few back-up locations, including Visakhapatnam, Rajkot, Pune, and Indore.
The last cricket match played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamshala was a pair of T20 Internationals between India and Sri Lanka in February of last year.
Since HPCA made the decision to rebuild the outfield and put in a new drainage system, the ground has not been used for cricket. The outfield, which is dotted with bare patches where the grass cover has not yet taken hold, is considered to be unfinished.
Additionally, it is known that BCCI conducted an inspection on February 3; however, a second examination is anticipated for this weekend, following which a final decision will be made.
If the outfield is secure enough and capable of withstanding the wear and strain that comes with hosting a Test match, the inspection team will make that determination. The sand-based outfield requires a thick grass cover, according to specialists.
The HPCA Stadium, which is tucked away in the Middle Himalayas’ Dhauladhar mountain range, is a very picturesque location for sporting events. Before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in early 2020, it last hosted first-class cricket. In the Border-Gavaskar Trophy’s 2016–17 season, it has only hosted one Test, which India won in four days to take the series 2-1.
While ticket sales have begun for the current series’ second Test, which will be contested in Delhi starting on February 17, The final two Test matches do not yet have tickets available. The fourth Test is scheduled for March 9–13 at Ahmedabad.
Notably, the first Test is currently going on in Nagpur.
