Australia's likely tour itinerary

MUMBAI, JAN. 10.The Australians are likely to open their tour of India with a three- day game at Baroda from February 17 to 19. The tourists' second three-day game has been awarded to Cricket Club of India (CCI), which apparently has agreed to forgo the subvention money the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) gives to staging centres. The CCI does not a field a team in the national championship for the Ranji Trophy.

A few months ago three representatives of the Australian Cricket Board and the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) Messrs. Steve Bernard, Richard Watson and Tim May had visited Baroda, Pune, Kochi and New Delhi and subsequently approved the first tour itinerary scheduled by the BCCI, which will be placed before the Working Committee meeting in New Delhi on January 22.

The third one-day international has been tentatively awarded to Indore. An International Cricket Council Match Referee and Mr. Polly Umrigar will visit Indore for inspection early next week. Indore is likely to get the clearance because the three day match between Zimbabwe and National Cricket Academy (NCA) was played there and since there has been no adverse reports about the ground and pitch conditions.

The likely tour programme for Australia : Feb. 15: Arrival in Mumbai; Feb. 17-19, 1st 3 day game, Baroda; Feb. 22- 24. 2nd 3 day game, Brabourne Stadium, Cricket Club of India, Mumbai; Feb. 27 - March 3: First Test, Mumbai; March 6-8 (3rd 3 day game, New Delhi); March 11-15: Second Test, Chennai; March 18-22, Third Test, Calcutta; March 25, 1st ODI, Bangalore; March 28, 2nd ODI, Pune; March 31, 3rd ODI, Indore; April 3, 4th ODI, Vishakapatnam and April 6, 5th ODI, Goa.

-Our Special Correspondent.

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