Australia and India: Duel at Adelaide Oval Amid Uncertainty
In a year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, Australia and India face each other in the same scenario where their previous encounter began in 2018: the prestigious Adelaide Oval. The familiar sight of the scoreboard and the imposing Moreton Bay trees at the north end of the field provide a sense of continuity inherent in Test match cricket, and will serve as a backdrop for the teams of Tim Paine and Virat Kohli in the first day/night Test for the Indian team away from home. This clash between two of cricket’s most powerful nations promises to be even more special than any other encounter in the last 20 years, a period of almost constant contact between both teams. The very realization of the series is a significant achievement.Since 1999, India and Australia have contested no less than 12 test series, the same number that Australia has played against England in the same period. However, this year, the uncertainty about the realization of the series was palpable due to the health crisis. In the difficult months of March, April and May, when the world of sport stopped almost completely, the possibility that the series would not take place was a real concern.
Cricket Australia (CA) has faced challenges with state associations, state governments, and rights broadcasters. Fortunately, India’s administrators and players did not raise significant issues about the tour. However, the obstacles 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. Initial plans to land in Perth were moved to Adelaide and then to Brisbane, before finally settling on 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 alter the series. For a long time, Adelaide Oval was going to host at least one and possibly two test matches, given the prolonged quarantine Melbourne faced for most of the year, which generated uncertainty about Boxing Day until October. But the outbreak that forced a strict but brief lockdown in South Australia caused changes in plans, with the possibility of starting the test series with a day/night Test at the MCG and then continuing with a more traditional match from December 26 onwards. Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough, who has dealt with rock concerts and changes to the football schedule in the past, has prepared a Test match pitch with a Christmas parade instead of Sheffield Shield matches as a prelude.The Australian team has had the advantage of training in the center of the field, which Paine considers crucial for the team.“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
Image: Virat Kohli and Tim Paine
Kohli, who will only play one test match in the series, will also face challenges, adding a unique element to the event before Ajinkya Rahane takes over the leadership 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. Captain Paine acknowledges Kohli’s ability to adapt and cause damage.Paine, who values his test career, does not feel fatigue from the frequency of encounters between India and Australia. The current situation, with the pandemic, has ensured that this chapter is as vibrant as any sporting competition.“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
