One of the upcoming India-Australia ODIs has been shifted from Melbourne to Hobart after delays with floodlight installation at Junction Oval disrupted plans. The match, scheduled for March 1, will now be played at Hobart in Tasmania. Initially slated to be the first international fixture under lights at the Junction, the ground could not be readied in time due to planning and construction hurdles.
The announcement may cause some confusion among fans, with both India’s men’s and women’s teams set to play ODIs in Australia. In this case, it is the women’s side whose third ODI of the multi-format 2026 series has been affected, meaning Melbourne will miss out on hosting the women’s international cricket game.
Junction Oval setback and shifting schedule
Cricket Australia’s head of operations Peter Roach expressed his disappointment at the shift. “We anticipated the Junction Oval lights would be installed several weeks before this fixture and were looking forward to celebrating the first international match under lights at the ground,” he said. “We are disappointed we have had to move this match from Junction Oval and that there will be no women’s international match in Melbourne this season.”
The delays stem from Cricket Victoria’s project to equip the Junction Oval with broadcast-standard floodlights. Planning approvals and heritage permits were only finalised in July 2025, with construction originally due to finish by late 2025. However, ongoing work would have impacted both lighting and spectator access, making it impossible to stage the ODI.
With only a single day separating the second and third ODIs, organisers felt a shift to a day game was not practical. The MCG, which could have been a fallback, is undergoing renovation and therefore unavailable. The outcome means Bellerive Oval in Hobart will host back-to-back ODIs.
The women’s series, which also features three T20Is and a day-night Test at the WACA, is part of a packed season restructured around the Women’s Premier League in January and the ODI World Cup later this year. Captain Alyssa Healy earlier acknowledged the shift in the calendar but highlighted a silver lining. “Not having an international fixture in that school holiday period does hurt a little bit, but in saying that, it kind of extends the cricket season, which isn’t completely a bad thing for our sport,” she said. “At the back end of the Ashes [last year], I felt like that was really cool to have it at the end of the Border-Gavaskar [Trophy], so hopefully there’s similar sort of momentum this year at the end of the men’s Ashes, that there’s still some more cricket to watch.”
India women’s tour of Australia 2026
| Date | Match | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 15, Sun | Australia Women vs India Women, 1st T20I | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | 7:00 PM LOCAL |
| Feb 19, Thu | Australia Women vs India Women, 2nd T20I | Manuka Oval, Canberra | 7:00 PM LOCAL |
| Feb 21, Sat | Australia Women vs India Women, 3rd T20I | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | 7:00 PM LOCAL |
| Feb 24, Tue | Australia Women vs India Women, 1st ODI | The Gabba, Brisbane | 1:30 PM LOCAL |
| Feb 27, Fri | Australia Women vs India Women, 2nd ODI | Bellerive Oval, Hobart | 2:30 PM LOCAL |
| Mar 1, Sun | Australia Women vs India Women, 3rd ODI | Bellerive Oval, Hobart | 2:30 PM LOCAL |
| Mar 6-9 | Australia Women vs India Women, Only Test | Perth Stadium, Perth | 1:30 PM LOCAL (starts at 11:00 AM AEST) |
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