BCCI president Anurag Thakur said, "I welcome the new Test venues... their arrival will take Test match cricket to every corner of the country." PHOTO: AFP
NEW DELHI: India named six new Test venues on Thursday as they prepare to host New Zealand, England and then top-ranked Australia in an exhaustive home season starting in October.
India will kickstart the season against New Zealand with three Tests and five one-day internationals, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said.
England then arrive for five Tests and six limited-overs matches, while the Australia series is scheduled for February and March next year.
Bangladesh will also play a one-off Test during the season, their first such outing in India since they gained Test status in 2000.
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The cities of Rajkot, Visakhapatnam, Pune, Dharamsala, Ranchi and Indore will host Test matches for the first time, the BCCI said after a meeting in Mumbai.
"I welcome the new Test venues... their arrival will take Test match cricket to every corner of the country," BCCI president Anurag Thakur said in a statement.
India will play 13 Tests in total during the season, the most since the 1979-80 home season, along with eight ODIs and three T20 internationals.
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The BCCI also said the domestic Duleep Trophy tournament in September will be played under lights and with a pink ball for the first time in the country.
Australia and New Zealand played the inaugural day-night Test in Adelaide last year, attracting huge crowds.
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