The third Test between Australia and India has been moved to a different venue

The third Test between Australia and India has been moved to a venue not used for Test cricket since 2019.

Indian officials on Monday confirmed the third Test against Australia would be moved from the picturesque stadium in Dharamsala after a pitch inspection found the new wicket to be substandard.

Instead the third Test will be played in Indore, where the Australians have never played a Test match.

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Only two Tests have ever been played at Indore, both won by the home team, with the last being in 2019.

“Owing to harsh winter conditions in the region, the outfield lacks sufficient grass density and will need some time to develop fully,” a BCCI statement said on Monday.

“The third Test ... has now been moved to Holkar Stadium, Indore.”

NEWS - Venue for third Test of the @mastercardindia Australia tour of India for Border-Gavaskar Trophy shifted to Indore from Dharamsala. #INDvAUS

More details here - https://t.co/qyx2H6N4vTpic.twitter.com/N3W00ukvYJ

— BCCI (@BCCI) February 13, 2023

It’s a blow to the Australians with the Dharamsala wicket expected to be the only one in the four Test series unlikely to spin from the start.

Adding to the issues for the tourists, Indian spin star Ravichandran Ashwin, who crushed Australia with five-second innings wickets in the opening clash at Nagpur, has taken 18 wickets in two Tests at Indore.

Australian fast bowler Scott Boland wasn’t expecting much help for the tourists from any of the wickets in India.

“All the wickets are going to be pretty similar,” Boland said.

“The same in Sri Lanka (for Australia‘s two-Test tour) last year, it felt like they rolled the middle of the wicket so flat, there’s no pace in it for our quick bowlers.

“So I assume it‘s going to be pretty similar. From their point of view their spin dominated. They played our spinners pretty well, so I reckon they’re going to be looking for the same kind of wicket.”

The decision was reportedly made on Sunday after an inspection of the ground by a team of BCCI officials who discovered several bare patches on the playing surface.

It was only relaid last year to fit in a new drainage system and the town, located at an altitude of 1451 metres and close to the Himalayas, received insufficient sunlight for grass to grow.

Indore is predominantly used for limited overs games, including a clash between India and New Zealand in January.

But the Australians have played just a single ODI at the venue, which India won, in 2017.

Already 1-0 down in the series after a humiliating loss in the opening match at Nagpur, Australian captain Pat Cummins vowed his team would try and move on quickly ahead of this week’s second Test in Delhi.

“I think sometimes it‘s almost easier to put behind you those kind of losses,“ he said.

“You are looking at small margins, you have to have a hard look at your game and the big strides you need to change to give yourself the best chance next week.

Australian captain Pat Cummins (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

“We’ve had a really good run the last 12 months.

“There hasn’t been many losses in that change room. I don’t think we need to reinvent the wheel, it’s just tweaking different approaches to how we play and maybe particular methods.”

The third Test will be played from March 1-5.