Australia's tour to India 2023: Delhi likely to host Test after 5 years; Dharamsala, Ahmedabad also in fray

When Pat Cummins' Australia visit India for the high-profile Border-Gavaskar four-match series in February-March of next year, Delhi is likely host a Test match for the first time in more than five years. Ahmedabad, Dharamsala, and Chennai are the other three locations that are heavily favoured to host the remaining Test matches.

The World Test Championship (WTC) cycle's second instalment will conclude with these four games for India, making the series crucial.

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In fact, India may need to defeat Australia 4-0 in order to advance to the top match, which could be a herculean job for Rohit Sharma's team. The upcoming ICC Future Tours & Programme (FTP), which begins in 2024, will alter the regular four-Test format of the series to five matches.

Delhi, which was left out during the two years of the COVID-19 epidemic, is set to receive one of the Test matches per to the BCCI's rotation mechanism. In December 2017, the city last hosted a Test match against Sri Lanka.

"Delhi is likely to host the second of the four Test matches as of now. The dates will be out as and when the Tours and Fixtures committee hold its meeting. Dharamsala, which hosted its first and only Test almost six years back, against Australia in March, 2017, will probably host the third Test," a senior BCCI official told PTI on the condition of anonymity. 

As a result of Bengaluru having hosted a Test match against Sri Lanka earlier this year, it is thought that Australia would most likely begin the series in Chennai or Hyderabad. That Test was day/night. The series finale is anticipated to take place at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The choice of which of the four Tests will take place during the day or at night has not yet been made.

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Three pink-ball Tests have so far been hosted by the BCCI: the first against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens, the second against England at Motera, and the third against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru.

Post the COVID-19-induced break, the BCCI has hosted eight Test matches, with four against England in 2021 (Chennai and Ahmedabad ), two against New Zealand (Kanpur and Mumbai) and two against Sri Lanka (Chandigarh and Bengaluru).

(With inputs from PTI)