Australia-India third Test moved to Indore
The third Test between India and Australia has been moved from the picturesque HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala to Indore due to concerns about the surface.
The BCCI said harsh winter conditions in the Himalayas meant the outfield has not grown enough grass to host an international match.
Holkar Stadium in Indore will host the contest, scheduled to begin on March 1, instead.
India have played two Test matches at the venue, defeating New Zealand by 321 runs in 2016 and Bangladesh by an innings and 130 runs in 2019.
Veteran offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin has taken 18 wickets at 12.50 in Indore.
The BCCI's inspection panel visited the Dharamsala ground on Saturday and noted concerns over the outfield.
The last international match played at the stadium was in February 2022 when India hosted two Twenty20s between India and Sri Lanka.
Dharamsala has only hosted one previous Test - the fourth match of the 2017 Border-Gavaskar series which India won by eight wickets to clinch the trophy.
Australia and India will face-off in the second Test in Delhi, starting on Friday, as the tourists attempt to bounce back from an innings and 132-run smashing in the series opener in Nagpur.
The fourth and final Test is due to begin on March 9 at the 132,000-seat capacity Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
