The JSCA stadium in Dhurwa will host a match of the India-Australia ODI series later this year

May 26: Congratulations Ranchi, you just scored a hat-trick!

After an ODI match and two IPL ties, the capital’s world-class stadium in Dhurwa is pitch-ready for more international cricket this year. If Alastair Cook and his boys from England had sent the adrenaline coursing through the veins in January, players from Down Under will send enthusiasm over boundary later this year.

The tour programme and fixtures committee of BCCI met in Calcutta this morning and confirmed that Ranchi would host the second last match of the seven-day India-Australia bilateral series scheduled from October 10 to November 2.

BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale forwarded an email in this regard to the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) in the afternoon.

Besides Ranchi, there are six other venues — Bangalore, Pune, Mohali, Nagpur, Jaipur and Cuttack. The exact date of the ODI to be hosted at the Dhurwa stadium is yet to be announced.

“We are yet to get the match date, which is expected in October-end, but we received confirmation today that Ranchi will host one of the ODI matches,” Manoj Kumar, JSCA vice-president (districts), said and added that the lone T20 match between India and Australia would be played in Rajkot.

Officials at JSCA maintained that giving a venue back-to-back series matches was an unprecedented departure by BCCI.

“After the England tour in January, the Australian team will be in the country for a series. Generally, matches of two consecutive series are not given to one venue. However, we have been told that Ranchi has bagged the India-Australia tie because of its flawless hosting of the ODI and IPL matches recently,” Kumar said.

He called the new offer from BCCI “a great start to a reformed JSCA”.

He said it was a gift from the cricket board to the newly elected committee of the state outfit.

Amitabh Choudhary and his team had routed rival Praveen Kumar Singh in the controversy-dogged JSCA polls yesterday.