Hyderabad Likely to Host Test After Two Decades

Nagpur: After two decades Test cricket may return to Hyderabad as the BCCI is planning to organise one of the two Tests between India and South Africa next year at the newly built Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on the outskirts of the city.

"There were plans to organise the Tests at Hyderabad and Nagpur but since the Orange City is organising the second ODI between Sri Lanka and India it may lose the chance to host the Test match," sources said.

"Hyderabad appears to be a front runner for hosting one of the two planned Tests in February-March," the sourse said.

The India-Sri Lanka ODI to be held on Friday was originally scheduled at Vishakapatnam but got shifted to Nagpur because of security concerns due to the Telangana crisis in the state.

The last time Hyderabad hosted a Test was in 1988 when India played New Zealand in the decisive match of a three-Test rubber. But that tie was held at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium in Fateh Maidan.

The old stadium had hosted two Tests, both against New Zealand, in 1955 and 1969 besides a few ODIs before giving way to the newly built stadium at Uppal to host ODIs from November 2005.

Two more ODIs featuring India, both against Australia, in October 2007 and this year, have been held at the venue.

Meanwhile, the three ODIs between India and South Africa are likely to be allotted to Jamshedpur, Indore and Goa, the sources added.