Test of lepton flavor universality using <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:mrow><mml:msup><mml:mrow><mml:mi>B</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mn>0</mml:mn></mml:msup><mml:mo stretchy="false">→</mml:mo><mml:msup><mml:mrow><mml:mi>D</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><m

The branching fraction $\mathcal{B}(B^0 \to D^{*-}\tau^+\nu_{\tau})$ is measured relative to that of the normalization mode $B^0 \to D^{*-}\pi^+\pi^-\pi^+$ using hadronic $\tau^+ \to \pi^+\pi^-\pi^+(\pi^0)\overline{\nu}_{\tau}$ decays in proton-proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2 fb$^{-1}$. The measured ratio is $\mathcal{B}(B^0 \to D^{*-}\tau^+\nu_{\tau})/\mathcal{B}(B^0 \to D^{*-}\pi^+\pi^-\pi^+) = 1.79 \pm 0.11 \pm 0.11$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is related to systematic effects. Using established branching fractions for the $B^0 \to D^{*-}\pi^+\pi^-\pi^+$ and $B^0 \to D^{*-}\mu^+\nu_{\mu}$ modes, the lepton universality test, $\mathcal{R}(D^{*-}) \equiv \mathcal{B}(B^0 \to D^{*-}\tau^+\nu_{\tau})/\mathcal{B}(B^0 \to D^{*-}\mu^+\nu_{\mu})$ is calculated, $$ \mathcal{R}(D^{*-}) = 0.260 \pm 0.015 \pm 0.016 \pm 0.012\, , $$ where the third uncertainty is due to the uncertainties on the external branching fractions. This result is consistent with the Standard Model prediction and with previous measurements.