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 scene of the start of their previous series in 2018. The view of the scoreboard and the iconic Moreton Bay trees will frame this encounter, the first day/night Test for India away from home. This clash between two cricket powerhouses promises to be memorable, especially considering the circumstances. Since 1999, they have played 12 Test series, a figure comparable to Australia’s Ashes series against England in the same period. The uncertainty about the realization of this series, due to the health crisis, adds special value to this event. During the toughest months of the pandemic, the possibility of the series not taking place was real. Despite the challenges, Cricket Australia (CA) appreciates the collaboration of the Indian administrators and players, who facilitated the organization of the tournament. The obstacles for CA focused on finding an entry point for the visiting team’s charter plane. Initially, it was planned to land in Perth, but the plan changed to Adelaide, then to Brisbane and finally to Sydney, thanks to the support of the New South Wales government and the SCG Trust. Negotiations with the Queensland government generated moments of tension. Even after India’s arrival, a Covid outbreak in Adelaide threatened to disrupt the series. The possibility of starting the tournament with a day/night Test at the MCG and then continuing with a traditional game from December 26 was considered. Damian Hough, curator of the Adelaide Oval, who has dealt with concerts and football matches, prepared a pitch for the Test with a Christmas show as a prelude. “One thing we’ve learned with Covid is to live more in the present,” Hough commented. “We had to adapt and live in the moment.”

“We feel fortunate to be able to give Australia training in the center court on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 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 training sessions in the center of the court are shaping up as a competitive advantage for the Australians, especially 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.Tim Paine highlighted the importance of training at the Adelaide Oval: “We trained three nights in a row in the center of the Adelaide Oval pitch, which I think will be a great advantage for our team. It’s the most difficult thing about the Test with the pink ball; 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 on the field.” Kohli’s adaptation, who did not participate in the practice match at the SCG, will be crucial. Furthermore, this will be Kohli’s only Test in the series, before Ajinkya Rahane takes over the captaincy in the remaining three matches. With an elite bowling attack, the Australians have managed to get Kohli out in the previous two series. However, Paine acknowledges Kohli’s ability to adapt and cause damage: “Everyone has big plans to get the best players out, but that’s why 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 also highlighted the variety in the Australian attack and the importance of having different options to counter Kohli. “We have plans that have worked well against him in the past; hopefully they will work soon enough this week, but if not, we have a couple of different plans.” Paine, who values his cricket career, doesn’t feel bubble fatigue and enjoys the situation: “I love it, to be honest. I don’t think this bubble has been as strict as 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 miss them. But I sleep better here and feel fresher than at home, so life in the bubble might make me play longer, if anything.”