Australia vs India: Cricket Match in Adelaide After a Chaotic Year

Australia and India Face Off in Adelaide: A Classic in Uncertain Times

In a year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, Australia and India prepare for a new confrontation at the Adelaide Oval, the same venue where their previous series began in 2018. The view of the scoreboard and the iconic Moreton Bay figs offer a sense of continuity, an essential element in 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, which marks two decades of almost constant contact between the cricket powers, promises to be memorable. The series itself is a triumph, considering the challenges faced by both nations. Financial forces have driven India and Australia to play 12 Test series since 1999, matching the number of Ashes series Australia has had against England in the same period. However, uncertainty about the series taking place was palpable during the difficult months of March, April and May, when the sports world came to a standstill. The concern focused on the obstacles to organizing the series, despite the goodwill between Cricket Australia and the BCCI. CA appreciated that the Indian administrators and players did not raise significant problems. The challenges for CA’s interim CEO, Nick Hockley, and chairman Earl Eddings, focused on finding a port of entry for the charter plane carrying the visiting team. The initial plans to land in Perth were moved to Adelaide, then to Brisbane, before finally Sydney, Canberra, the New South Wales government and the SCG Trust took the initiative. Negotiations with the Queensland government were tense. Even after the arrival of the Indians, a Covid outbreak in Adelaide threatened the series. The Adelaide Oval curator, Damian Hough, has faced rock concerts and changes in football matches, but this year he prepared a test track with a Christmas parade instead of Sheffield Shield matches. “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.”

“We are fortunate to be able to give Australia training in the center of the court on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so that was our only preparation, and it seemed to go very well, the comments were positive. We have the recipe that seems to work… we are sticking to the game plan”.

Damian Hough

The sessions in the center of the court offer a competitive advantage for the Australians, something that Paine did not hesitate to highlight.

It is increasingly hopeful that Virat Kohli and Tim Paine will face each other later this year.Paine highlighted the importance of training in the center of the Adelaide Oval pitch, describing it as a significant advantage, especially with the pink ball. “It’s the most difficult thing about the pink ball Test; you usually have it once a year. Sometimes with a Shield match, this time without one. So you’re practically learning on the go, in real time, when you go out onto the field.” Kohli’s adaptation, who did not play in the warm-up match at the SCG, will be crucial, especially since this is his only Test of the series. Ajinkya Rahane will take 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 previous two series. Paine acknowledged Kohli’s skill, stating that “sometimes they get away from you, that’s the game.” Paine also highlighted Australia’s different attacking options, including Nathan Lyon and Marnus, to counter Kohli. The tactical conversation and plans for the Test series offer a respite from Covid protocols, border restrictions, and the financial impacts of the year. Paine, who values his Test career more than most after nearly retiring in 2017, doesn’t feel “bubble fatigue”. “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 really 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 hub might make me play longer, if anything.” The events of 2020 ensure that this new chapter is as vivid as any sporting competition, while many around the world remain confined by the pandemic.