India will play Australia in four Test matches in February and March in what will be the final leg of a long, long home season for Virat Kohli's side. Having already beaten New Zealand in a three-match Test series, India will also play England and Bangladesh, before facing off against Australia.
The battle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will begin with the first Test in Pune, from February 23, before the action shifts to Bengaluru. That second Test will be followed by the third match of the rubber in Ranchi, with the final Test set to be played in Dharamsala. Pune, Ranchi and Dharamsala will all host their first ever Test match.
India have looked formidable at home in the recent past, with that dominance only increasing after their 3-0 whitewash of New Zealand.
Kohli's side will next play England in a five-Test match series, which begins on November 9 with the first Test in Rajkot. That will be followed by three ODIs and three T20s against England.
India will then host Bangladesh for a single Test match in Hyderabad in early February. So, by the time Australia come to town, fatigue could play a big factor, even if the Aussies also have a long home season.
The last time India hosted Australia in a Test series in 2013, they whitewashed the team from down under 4-0. Those Tests were also played in February and March, so India will hope for another similar result.
Australia, though, will have revenge on their minds, and having beaten India 2-0 on their home turf in a four-Test series in December 2014-January 2015, they will look to that result for confidence when they come to the sub-continent.
However, having been handed a proper beating by Sri Lanka in a recent tour of the Island nation, Australia will know some serious improvements against spin will be necessary if they are to get the better of India.
India vs Australia Test series schedule:
1st Test: February 23-27 at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.
2nd Test: March 4-8 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
3rd Test: March 16-20 at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi.
4th Test: March 25-29 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.
