Australia vs India ODI Relocated to Hobart After Melbourne Floodlight Delays

Originally planned as a day-night match at Melbourne's Junction Oval on March 1, Cricket Australia has rescheduled the third women's ODI between Australia and India of the 2026 tour to Hobart's Bellerive Oval. The tight schedule led to changes and delays in installing new floodlights at Junction Oval.

Cricket Australia had to transfer the match to Tasmania, giving Hobart back-to-back ODIs in the series, due to ongoing work and planning delays that would have affected fan access. Originally, the game was scheduled to be the ground's inaugural floodlit fixture.

Australia vs India ODI Venue Change:

Due to the Women's Premier League (WPL) relocating to January and the ODI World Cup later in the year, the Australian home window for the multi-format India tour was moved to February–March. Three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) were initially scheduled for mid-February, followed by three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) on February 24, February 27, and March 1, as well as a day-night Test in Perth in early March. 

The Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades WBBL games will still be played at Junction Oval during the day, along with other domestic cricket events as planned. The ODIs are a part of a multi-format series against India that will culminate with a day-night Test at the WACA in Perth after three T20Is.

In the meantime, Hobart now hosts the series' back-to-back ODIs, eliminating the need for teams, officials, and broadcasters to arrange travel and lodging. Cricket Australia has announced that fans who bought tickets for the Junction Oval match will get their money back. In the meantime, Junction Oval will continue to hold domestic daytime cricket matches, including the Melbourne Stars and Renegades WBBL, as scheduled, instead of hosting international night matches until the lighting installation is finished.

Watch this space for more cricket news and updates.