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

Australia and India Face Off in Adelaide: A Classic in Times of Pandemic

In a year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, Australia and India prepare for a new confrontation at the Adelaide Oval, the same venue that hosted their encounter in 2018. The presence of the iconic scoreboard and the imposing Moreton Bay trees provide a sense of continuity, an essential element in Test cricket, and will serve as a backdrop for the teams led by 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 holds special significance, especially after a year filled with uncertainty. Since 1999, Australia and India have contested 12 Test series, a number comparable to the Ashes series that Australia has played against England in the same period. The realization of this series is an achievement in itself, considering the challenges presented by the pandemic. During the difficult months of March, April and May, when sports came to a near standstill, the possibility of the series not taking place was a real concern. Even with the goodwill between Cricket Australia (CA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), significant obstacles arose. CA thanked the administrators and players from India for not raising significant issues about the tour. The challenges for CA’s interim CEO, Nick Hockley, and chairman Earl Eddings, focused on finding an entry point for the charter plane carrying the visiting team. After several changes to the initial plans, which included Perth and Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, and the New South Wales government were finally chosen. Even after the arrival of the Indians, there was a possibility that a Covid outbreak in Adelaide would disrupt the series. Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough has had to adapt to the circumstances, preparing a Test match pitch with a Christmas spectacle instead of Sheffield Shield games as preparation.

“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 a little more in the moment.”

Damian Hough

Practice sessions in the center of the field are presented as a competitive advantage for the Australian players who arrived before those who played for Australia A against the Indians on a different surface at the SCG.

It is increasingly likely that Virat Kohli and Tim Paine will face each other later this year.Tim Paine highlighted the importance of preparation in the center of the Adelaide Oval, a key factor in adapting to the match conditions with the pink ball and under the lights. Kohli’s adaptation, who did not participate in the warm-up match at the SCG, will be crucial. Furthermore, this will be Kohli’s only Test match in the series, before Ajinkya Rahane takes over the captaincy 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 the last two series. However, Paine acknowledges Kohli’s ability to adapt and cause damage.

“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 certainly one of the best players, if not the best player in the world,” Paine said.

Tim Paine

Paine also highlighted the variety in the Australian attack, with different speeds and angles, as well as the spin of Nathan Lyon and Marnus Labuschagne, to pose different challenges to Kohli. For Paine, tactical preparation and match plans are a refreshing change compared to concerns about Covid protocols and border restrictions. Paine, who values his Test career more than most, doesn’t feel bubble fatigue and enjoys the atmosphere. The series between Australia and India promises to be an unforgettable sporting event, especially at a time when many people around the world are still grappling with the restrictions imposed by the pandemic.