Himalayan setting for Aussie-India finale – India agrees to trial DRS for England Tests

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NEW DELHI, Oct 21, (Agencies): The picturesque Himalayan hillstation of Dharamsala will make its debut as a Test venue by hosting the finale of a much-anticipated series between India and Australia in the new year.

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 the city of Ranchi which will also host its first Test in March.

The series opener will be played from February 23-27 in the western city of Pune followed by matches in Bangalore, 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. Bangladesh will also play a one-off Test during the season, their first such outing in India since they gained Test status in 2000.

India are currently the number one Test side in the world while Australia are the holders of the ODI World Cup.

Schedule:

India vs Australia

Feb 23-27: First Test, Pune

Mar 4-8: Second Test, Bangalore

Mar 16-20: Third Test, Ranchi

Mar 25-29: Fourth Test, Dharamsala

India ended its long-standing opposition Friday to cricket’s Decision Review System (DRS), announcing it would be included on a trial basis in next month’s Test series against England.

The Indian cricket board’s president Anurag Thakur said that its major concerns had been addressed by upgrades to the system which has been used by other Test-playing countries for the best part of a decade.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will deploy the DRS “in toto in the forthcoming series between India and England… on a trial basis to evaluate the improvements made to the system over a period of time,” Thakur said in a statement.

According to the BCCI, the significant changes to the system include the introduction of high-speed ultramotion cameras for predicting the path of the ball and Ultra Edge which will help in determining the frame of impact.

India’s Supreme Court ordered the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Friday to withhold funding from state cricket bodies until they implement recommendations of a court-appointed committee to clean up administration of the national sport.

A three-man committee headed by former Justice Rajendra Lodha, was formed in the wake of a spot-fixing scam and alleged conflicts of interest.

The court ruled that state associations must submit affidavits committing to compliance with the Lodha recommendations in order to receive money from the BCCI.

The Supreme Court also ordered the BCCI to appoint an independent auditor to scrutinize its accounts and fix financial limits for contracts.

Sri Lanka omitted vice captain Dinesh Chandimal from a 15-member squad and brought in three uncapped players for a two-Test tour of Zimbabwe next week.

Sri Lanka Cricket said Chandimal was yet to recover from a thumb injury he sustained during a domestic match last month.

The three new faces in the squad are fast bowlers Kasun Madushanka and Lahiru Kumara and the allrounder Asela Gunaratne.

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