Starting on Wednesday (March 1), Team India will look to secure the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and a place in the World Test Championship final when they take on Australia in the third Test at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. India, led by Rohit Sharma, currently lead the four-match series 2-0 after winning the first Test at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur by innings and 132 runs and the second Test at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi by six wickets. The spin trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Ravichandran Ashwin have been key players for India and will once again pose a major threat to the weakened Australian team, who will have a new captain in Indore.

Ravi Ashwin and Steve Smith checking the Indore pitch ahead of 3rd Test match.#ravichandranashwin #SteveSmith pic.twitter.com/Dg2ZZH1pgQ

— SPORTSBUZZINFO (@Sportsbuzinfo) February 28, 2023

In the first two Tests, Ashwin and Jadeja have demonstrated their skills with both bat and ball, while Axar has made valuable contributions with the bat in both innings of the first Test. Jadeja, who took three wickets in the first innings of the second Test, finished the match with ten wickets and has claimed 17 wickets in the series so far after making his comeback to the international cricket in the opener.

The action will now move to the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore, which was chosen as a replacement venue after the original third Test venue – Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) in Dharmashala – was found unsuitable to host the match due to harsh winter conditions. This will be the first time India and Australia face each other in the longest format at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, where India has won both of their previous Tests, with Ashwin being the standout performer with the ball.

Pitch Report

The pitch at the Holkar Cricket Stadium typically favours batsmen in the shorter formats, but as with most venues in the sub-continent, it has aided spin bowlers as the match progresses in Test. Although it has been batting-friendly in the early days, the wicket has also provided assistance to pacers and spinners even from day one. Ashwin’s excellent track record at the venue makes him a significant threat.

Weather Report

The weather forecast for the five days of the match indicates sunny and hot conditions with a maximum temperature of 36o C and an average temperature of 35o C. There is no risk of rain on any of the match days or leading up to the match, meaning the weather should not affect the Test match at the Holkar Cricket Stadium.