Australia vs India: Cricket match in Adelaide, a respite after a chaotic year

Australia and India Clash in Adelaide: A Cricket Classic in Uncertain Times

Elite cricket returns to Adelaide Oval, an iconic venue where Australia and India began their previous encounter in 2018. This match, marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, promises to be a momentous event in the history of the sport. The iconic scoreboard and Moreton Bay trees at the northern end of the field provide the characteristic continuity of Test matches. This backdrop will witness India’s first day/night Test away from home, with teams led by Tim Paine and Virat Kohli. The series, which has materialized after overcoming numerous challenges, is a testament to both nations’ dedication to cricket. Since 1999, Australia and India have contested 12 test series, a number comparable to Australia’s Ashes series against England in the same period. The months of March, April, and May presented uncertainties about the series’ realization. Despite the obstacles, the collaboration between Cricket Australia and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was crucial in overcoming the difficulties. The challenges for CA’s interim CEO, Nick Hockley, and chairman Earl Eddings, included securing an entry point for the visiting team’s charter plane. Initially, it was planned to land in Perth, but the plan was modified to Adelaide and then to Brisbane, before finally settling on Sydney, Canberra and the New South Wales government. Even after the arrival of the Indians, a Covid outbreak in Adelaide threatened the series. Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough has had to adapt to changing circumstances, including preparing a test pitch with a Christmas program instead of Sheffield Shield matches.

“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 added.

Damian Hough

Training sessions in the center of the field are shaping up as a competitive advantage for the Australians, especially for those who arrived earlier than those who played for Australia A on a different surface at the SCG.

It is increasingly hopeful that Virat Kohli and Tim Paine will face each other later this year.The Australian captain, Tim Paine, highlighted the importance of training in the center of the Adelaide Oval pitch, a crucial factor for the team. Kohli’s adaptation, who did not participate in the warm-up match at the SCG, will be a key factor. Furthermore, this will be 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 last two series. Paine acknowledges Kohli’s ability to adapt and cause damage even to the best attacks.

“Everyone has big plans to get the best players out, don’t they? But that’s the reason they are the best, they can adapt, they can change with what you are doing, and Virat is undoubtedly one of the best players, if not the best player in the world,” Paine said.

Tim Paine

Paine also mentioned that the team has specific plans to face Kohli and highlighted the diversity of their attack, which includes different angles and speeds. Tactical discussions and pre-series plans offer a respite from Covid protocols, border restrictions and the financial impacts of the year. Paine, who values his test career, shows no signs of fatigue and enjoys life in the bubble. The frequency of encounters between India and Australia has increased, but the events of 2020 ensure that this chapter is as vibrant as any sporting competition, especially at a time when many in the world are still confined by the pandemic.