Australia and India Clash in Adelaide: A Test Match Laden with Expectations
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 previous encounter in 2018. The view of the scoreboard and the Moreton Bay trees offer a feeling of essential continuity for Test Match cricket, creating a conducive environment for the teams of Tim Paine and Virat Kohli in the first day/night Test for India away from home. This encounter between two of the most powerful cricket nations promises to be memorable, surpassing even the previous duels between both teams, who have maintained constant contact for two decades. The realization of this series is an achievement in itself. Despite the influential financial forces that have driven India and Australia to contest 12 Test match series since 1999, a number similar to Australia’s Ashes series against England in the same period, participants and spectators have experienced moments of uncertainty about the viability of the series due to the global situation. During the difficult months of March, April and May, when the sports world was paralyzed, the possibility of the series not taking place was palpable. More recently, the challenges focused on the obstacles to organizing the series, despite the goodwill existing between Cricket Australia and the BCCI. In a year where its leaders have faced challenges with state associations, state governments and broadcasters, CA is grateful that India’s administrators and players have not raised significant issues about the tour. The hurdles for CA’s interim chief executive Nick Hockley and chairman Earl Eddings centered on finding a port of entry for the charter plane carrying the visiting team. Initial plans to land in Perth were moved to Adelaide, then to Brisbane, before finally being accepted by Sydney, Canberra, the New South Wales government and the SCG Trust. Uncertainty reached its peak during extensive negotiations with the Queensland government. Even after the arrival of the Indians, there was a possibility that a Covid outbreak in Adelaide would disrupt the series. Adelaide Oval had been scheduled to host at least one and possibly two Tests, given Melbourne’s prolonged quarantine that overshadowed Boxing Day until October. Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough, who has managed rock concerts and changes to football matches, has prepared a pitch for the Test Match with a Christmas spectacle instead of Sheffield Shield matches as a prelude.The Australian team has had the opportunity to train in the center of the court, which Paine considers an invaluable competitive advantage. Australian captain Tim Paine highlighted the importance of having trained in the center of the Adelaide Oval pitch for three consecutive nights, which he considers a significant advantage for the team. Paine emphasized the difficulty of adapting to cricket conditions with the pink ball and the lights, especially without practice matches.Kohli’s adaptation, who did not participate in the practice match at the SCG, will be crucial for the result in Adelaide. It intensifies due to the fact that this is Kohli’s only Test Match in the series, before Ajinkya Rahane takes over the leadership in the remaining three matches. With players of the caliber of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon, the Australians have succeeded in dismissing Kohli early in the last two series. However, Kohli has shown that he can be a danger to the most prominent attacks. Paine acknowledged the Australians’ plans to counter Kohli, highlighting the importance of adapting and changing strategy. He mentioned the team’s different attack options, including pace variations and the spin of Nathan Lyon and Marnus Labuschagne. Paine, who values his Test Match career, does not feel bubble fatigue and enjoys the experience. He highlighted that life in the bubble could even prolong his time at the top of the game. The events of 2020 ensure that this last chapter is as vibrant as any sporting competition, while many in the world remain confined by the pandemic.“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,” he said. “A U2 concert last year was a much bigger challenge than what we’re going through this year. I never thought I’d see a Christmas parade at the Adelaide Oval, so it’s a unique year.”
Damian Hough
