Australia and India Face Off in Adelaide in a Historic Test Match
After a year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, Australia and India prepare for a new confrontation at the Adelaide Oval, the same venue where they began their last encounter in 2018. The iconic scoreboard and the imposing Moreton Bay trees to the north of the field offer an intrinsic familiarity to Test Match cricket, serving as a backdrop for the teams led by Tim Paine and Virat Kohli. This will be the first day/night Test Match for India away from home, a milestone that adds excitement to the encounter between two of the most powerful cricket nations. The series, which has been made possible thanks to the collaboration between Cricket Australia and the BCCI, represents a significant achievement given the challenges presented by the pandemic. In the most difficult months of March, April and May, when the world of sports was affected, the uncertainty about the realization of the series was palpable. However, the administrators and players of India did not present major inconveniences, which facilitated the organization. The main challenge for CA’s interim CEO, Nick Hockley, and chairman Earl Eddings, was finding an entry point for the visiting team’s charter plane. Initial plans to land in Perth were amended to Adelaide, then to Brisbane, before Sydney, Canberra, the New South Wales government and the SCG Trust were finally decided upon. Even after the arrival of the Indians, there was a possibility that a Covid outbreak in Adelaide would disrupt the series. Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough has had to adapt to rock concerts and football scheduling changes, but this year he prepared a Test Match pitch with a Christmas event instead of Sheffield Shield matches as preparation.Practice sessions in the center court offer an invaluable competitive advantage for Australian players, especially for those who arrived before their teammates who played for Australia A on a different surface at the SCG. Tim Paine has highlighted the importance of these sessions, which he considers a great advantage for his team. Adapting to the conditions with the lights on and the pink ball is a challenge, but the three nights of practice at the Adelaide Oval have been fundamental. Kohli’s adaptation, who did not participate in the warm-up match at the SCG, will be crucial. This match is Kohli’s only Test Match in the series, before Ajinkya Rahane takes over the leadership in the remaining three matches. Australians, with players like Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon, have succeeded in dismissing Kohli early in the previous two series. Captain Paine acknowledges Kohli’s ability to adapt and cause damage.“One thing we’ve learned with Covid is to be more in the present,” Hough said. “We like to plan months in advance. We still had plans, but we had to live in the moment a little more.”
Damian Hough
Paine also highlights the variety of attacking options Australia has, including different angles, speeds, and the spin of Nathan Lyon and Marnus. The series promises to be a vibrant sporting event, especially at a time when many people around the world are still dealing with the restrictions of the pandemic.“Everyone has big plans to get the best players out, but that’s why they’re the best, they can adapt, they can change with what you’re doing, and Virat is certainly one of the best players, if not the best player in the world,” Paine said.
Tim Paine
