Dharamsala, Pune, Ranchi first-time Test venues for India-Australia series

The Pune Test starts on February 23 before Australia travel to Bengaluru for the second match from March 4.

The picturesque Himalayan hill station of Dharamsala will make its debut as a Test venue by hosting the finale of a much-anticipated series between India and Australia starting February next year.

The Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium will host its first ever Test match in February. (Satish Bate/HT Photo)

Dharamsala, which is home to the Dalai Lama, is the latest beneficiary of a new drive by the Indian board to take five-day cricket to smaller venues, along with Ranchi and Pune, which will also host their first Test matches.

The opener of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2017 will be played from February 23-27 in Pune followed by matches in Bengaluru, Ranchi and Dharamsala, India’s board said in a statement Friday.

In June, the board announced India would play as many as 13 Tests in an exhaustive home season with back-to-back contests against New Zealand, England and Australia. Three of those 13 have already been played, with the hosts registering a cleansweep of the Kiwis to regain the No. 1 Test ranking

Bangladesh will also play a one-off Test during the season, their first such outing in India since they gained Test status in 2000.

Schedule:

1st Test: February 23-27, Pune

2nd Test: March 4-8, Bengaluru

3rd Test: March 16-20, Ranchi

4th Test: March 25-29, Dharamsala