Australia and India clash in Adelaide in a historic Test Match
After a year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, Australia and India meet again at the Adelaide Oval, the scene where they began their previous encounter in 2018. The view of the scoreboard and the iconic Moreton Bay trees provide a sense of continuity inherent to test cricket, serving as a backdrop 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 cricket’s most powerful nations promises to be memorable, especially considering the challenges they faced to make the series happen. From March to May, the sports world stood still, generating uncertainty about the realization of this event. Despite the difficulties, both Cricket Australia (CA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) showed goodwill to make the series possible. The obstacles for CA, led by Nick Hockley and Earl Eddings, focused on securing an entry point for the Indian team’s charter plane. After initially considering Perth and then Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and the New South Wales government were finally chosen. Even after India’s arrival, a Covid outbreak in Adelaide threatened the series. Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough adapted to the circumstances, preparing a pitch for a test match with a Christmas event as a prelude.Training sessions in the center of the court are shaping up to be a competitive advantage for the Australians, who arrived earlier than those who played for Australia A. Captain Tim Paine highlighted the importance of these training sessions in the center of the Adelaide Oval court, which, according to him, will be a great advantage for his team. Kohli’s adaptation, who did not participate in the practice match in Sydney, will be crucial for the result in Adelaide. This match is Kohli’s only Test in the series, before Ajinkya Rahane takes over the leadership for the remaining three matches. Australians, with players like Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon, have succeeded in dismissing Kohli early in previous series. The challenge for Australia is to control Kohli, who has proven capable of causing damage even to the most formidable attacks.“One thing we’ve learned with Covid is to live more in the present,” Hough said. “We like to plan months in advance. We still had plans, but we had to live a little more in the moment.”
Damian Hough
Paine also commented that the team has plans that have worked against Kohli in the past, and that they have various options in their attack to counter him.“Everyone has big plans to get the best players out, right? 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
