Boost for India with extra pink-ball contest added to Australia tour

India will play an additional fixture during their tour of Australia at the end of the year following confirmation of a two-day pink-ball match against a Prime Minister's XI in Canberra.

The match will be held at Manuka Oval in the nation's capital on November 30 and December 1 and will fall in between the first and second Tests of the eagerly awaited Border-Gavaskar series in Australia.

The fixture will be a day-night affair and will provide India with some match practice against the pink ball and under lights ahead of the second Test of the series in Adelaide that will be played under the same conditions.

Australia defeated India by eight wickets in the only previous day-night Test played between the two countries during the 2020 series and the Adelaide Oval contest this time around will be the second time the sides have used the pink ball.

The iconic Adelaide Oval scoreboard displays India's small total of 36 against Australia during their last pink-ball Test // Getty Images

The battle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be played out over five Tests for the first time in more than 30 years, with the series also a crucial one for both sides as they attempt to earn their place in next year's ICC World Test Championship final.

Australia claimed their first World Test Championship title when they defeated India by 209 runs at The Oval last year and will be looking to retain their crown when the next edition of the one-off Test is held at Lord's in 2025.

India currently hold a slender lead at the head of the World Test Championship standings, while Australia are in second place.

World Test Championship Standings

Australia v India Test schedule:

First Test: November 22-26, Perth
Second Test: December 6-10, Adelaide (d/n)
Third Test: December 14-18, Brisbane
Fourth Test: December 26-30, Melbourne
Fifth Test: January 3-7, Sydney

Tour match:

Prime Minister's XI v India, November 30 - December 1, Canberra (d/n)