Australia and India: A Duel Amid Uncertainty
In a year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, Australia and India prepare to face each other on the same stage where their last encounter began in 2018: the Adelaide Oval. The presence of the traditional scoreboard and the iconic Moreton Bay fig trees at the northern end of the field provide a sense of continuity inherent to Test cricket, creating a striking backdrop for the teams led by Tim Paine and Virat Kohli in the first day/night Test for India away from home. The series, which has been a constant encounter for the last 20 years, is an achievement in itself. Since 1999, India and Australia have contested at least 12 test series, the same number that Australia has had against England in the same period. However, this year, the uncertainty about the realization of the series was constant. In the difficult months of March, April and May, when the world of sport stopped, the possibility of the series not taking place was considered. Recently, the obstacles to organizing the series were numerous, despite the goodwill between Cricket Australia and the BCCI to make it possible. The challenges for CA’s interim chief executive Nick Hockley and chairman Earl Eddings centered on finding a point of entry for the charter plane carrying the touring team. Initial plans to land in Perth were moved to Adelaide, then to Brisbane, before finally being welcomed by Sydney, Canberra, the New South Wales government and the SCG Trust. Even after the arrival of the Indians, there was a possibility that a Covid outbreak in Adelaide would disrupt the series. The Adelaide Oval curator, Damian Hough, has had to deal with rock concerts and changes in football matches, but this year he has prepared a test pitch with a Christmas parade instead of Sheffield Shield matches as preparation.Hough also highlighted the advantage of the training sessions in the center of the court for the Australian team. Paine also emphasized the importance of training in the center of the Adelaide Oval pitch, which he considers a great advantage for the Australian team. Kohli’s adaptation, who did not participate in the preparation match at the SCG, will be crucial for the result in Adelaide. Furthermore, this is Kohli’s only test match in the series, before Ajinkya Rahane takes over the leadership in the remaining three matches. With players like Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon, the Australians have succeeded in dismissing Kohli early in the last two series. Overcoming that phase is key, as Kohli has shown he can be dangerous even for the most formidable attack.“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 affirmed.
Damian Hough
Paine added that the team has plans that have worked against Kohli in the past and that they have different attacking options to counter him. Tactical discussions and pre-series plans offer a respite from Covid protocols, border restrictions and the financial challenges of the year. Paine, who values his test career more than most, does not feel bubble fatigue.“Everyone has big plans to get the best players out, don’t they? But that’s why they’re the best, they can adapt, they can change with what you’re doing, and Virat is undoubtedly one of the best players, if not the best player in the world,” Paine said.
Tim Paine
The events of 2020 have ensured that this last chapter is as vivid as any sporting competition, especially when many around the world remain confined by the pandemic.“Absolutely not. I love it, to be honest,” Paine said. “I don’t think this bubble has been as strict as the IPL or England’s. I sleep very well at night; my kids are at home, which is good in a way, but I certainly miss them. But I sleep better here and feel fresher here than at home, so life in the bubble might make me play longer, if anything.”
Tim Paine
