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

Australia and India clash in Adelaide in a Historic Test Match

After a year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, Australia and India are preparing to face each other on the same stage where they began their previous encounter in 2018: the Adelaide Oval. This inaugural match of the test series will be a significant event, especially as it is the first day/night Test for the Indian team away from home. The presence of the old scoreboard and the iconic Moreton Bay fig trees at the northern end of the field offer a sense of continuity, a hallmark of Test cricket. This will be the backdrop for the teams led by Tim Paine and Virat Kohli. This encounter between two of the most powerful cricket nations holds special value. The series itself is an achievement, considering the challenges both sides faced. Since 1999, Australia and India have contested 12 test series, a number comparable to Australia’s Ashes series against England in the same period. Uncertainty about the series’ realization was a constant concern, especially during the toughest months of the pandemic. Cricket Australia (CA) thanked the lack of complications from the Indian administrators and players. The main challenges for CA, led by Nick Hockley and Earl Eddings, focused on securing a port of entry for the visiting team’s charter plane. The initial landing plans in Perth were changed to Adelaide, then to Brisbane, before Sydney, Canberra, the New South Wales government, and the SCG Trust intervened. Negotiations with the Queensland government were particularly tense. Even after the arrival of the Indians, a Covid outbreak in Adelaide threatened to disrupt the series. The Adelaide Oval was scheduled to host at least one, and possibly two, Tests, considering the prolonged lockdown in Melbourne. Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough has had to adapt to unexpected changes, including preparing a pitch for a Test match with a Christmas preparation.

“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 in the moment a little more.”

Damian Hough

Hough highlighted that the practice sessions in the center of the field represent an invaluable competitive advantage for the Australian players. The Australian captain, Tim Paine, emphasized the importance of preparation at the Adelaide Oval. Paine stated that training in the Adelaide Oval’s center field would be a great advantage for his team, adapting to the pink ball and lights conditions. Kohli’s adaptation, who did not participate in the practice match at the SCG, will be crucial. This match is Kohli’s only Test in the series, before Ajinkya Rahane takes over the leadership. Australians, with players like Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon, have had success in the past in getting Kohli out early. Paine acknowledged Kohli’s ability to adapt and his capacity to score against the best attacks.

“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

Paine also mentioned that the Australian team has plans that have worked against Kohli, and that they have different attacking options. Instead of concerns about Covid protocols and border restrictions, Paine enjoys the tactical concentration. After considering retirement in 2017, Paine values his test career and does not feel fatigue from the bubble.

“Absolutely not. I love it, to be honest,” Paine said. “I don’t think this hub has been as strict as maybe the IPL or the one in England. I sleep very well at night; my children 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 hub might make me play longer, if anything.”

Tim Paine

Paine concluded that, after a difficult year, this cricket series between Australia and India presents itself as a vibrant and exciting sporting event.