India's Cricket Showdown: Australia Tour Venue Surprises

India is set to host Australia for a five-match Test series early next year. Traditional venues like Kolkata and Mumbai won't host games, while Nagpur, Chennai, Guwahati, Ranchi, and Ahmedabad are chosen. Ahmedabad is favored due to its large capacity. Guwahati hosts its second Test at ACA Stadium.

India is gearing up to host a much-anticipated five-match Test series against Australia early next year. In a surprising choice of venues, some of the country's traditional cricket strongholds, such as Kolkata, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, will not host any matches.

Nagpur is set to host the inaugural match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting January 21, with subsequent games scheduled in Chennai, Guwahati, Ranchi, and Ahmedabad. This decision was announced by the Indian cricket board on Thursday.

The ACA Stadium in Barsapara, Guwahati, will be hosting its second Test match since it first debuted against South Africa in 2025. Meanwhile, Ahmedabad, renowned for having the world's largest cricket stadium, continues to be a preferred venue for high-profile fixtures, hosting finals like the ODI in 2023 and the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2026. Australia currently holds the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, following their convincing 3-1 series win at home last year.

(With inputs from agencies.)