India vs Australia 3rd Test could be shifted out of Dharamshala; Here's why

Concerns about the India vs Australia 3rd Test match being shifted out of Dharamshala became the talk of the town for cricket fans in India after reports claimed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is keeping its option open. As per reports, the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharmshala might not host the 3rd Test match of the ongoing series due to wet outfield. As per ESPNCricinfo, the stadium recently underwent renovation and might not be fit to host international cricket as of now.

It is understood that BCCI will take the decision about the venue in the coming days. The governing body is expected to take a call based on the inspection conducted by its team of experts. While the Border Gavaskar Trophy kicked off with the first Test on February 9, the third Test will be played from March 1 to March 5. 

Which venues can replace Dharmshala?

If the reports turn out to be true, the list of shortlisted venues that can replace the HPCA Stadium includes Pune, Visakhapatnam, Indore, and Rajkot. The last international match to be played at the scenic venue was the second T20I between India and Sri Lanka on February 22. As per reports, the outfield at the stadium is understood to be not ready and contains bold patches with grass cover not taking hold.

It is pertinent to mention that the ticket sales for the final two matches of the four-Test series are yet to begin. India and Australia will travel to New Delhi for the second Test match, following the conclusion of the first Test in Nagpur. Here’s a look at the full schedule and squads for the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2022.

India vs Australia Four-match Test series: Full Squads

Australia’s squad: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith (vc), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner

India’s Test squad for the first two Tests against Australia: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Suryakumar Yadav

Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023 Schedule

• India vs Australia 1st Test from February 9 to 13 at VCA Stadium, Nagpur
• India vs Australia 2nd Test from February 17 to 21 at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
• India vs Australia 3rd Test from March 1 to 5 at HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala
• India vs Australia 4th Test from March 9 to 13 at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad