Australia and India Face Off in Adelaide: A Classic in Times of Covid
After 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 sight of the scoreboard and the iconic Moreton Bay trees provide a sense of continuity, an essential element in test cricket, and will serve 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 between two of the most powerful cricket nations promises to be memorable, especially considering the challenges they faced to make the series happen. Despite the significant financial forces driving India and Australia to play test series, participants and spectators experienced moments of uncertainty about the event’s realization. The months of March, April, and May, with the suspension of global sporting activity, raised doubts about the possibility of the series. Recently, the obstacles focused on the organization of the series, despite the goodwill between Cricket Australia and the BCCI. CA’s interim chief executive Nick Hockley and chairman Earl Eddings faced logistical challenges, such as the arrival of the Indian team. Initial landing plans in Perth were modified to Adelaide, then to Brisbane, before Sydney, Canberra, the New South Wales government and the SCG Trust finally took the lead. The negotiation with the Queensland government was a moment of great tension. 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, who has dealt with rock concerts and changes to football matches, prepared a pitch for a test match, with a Christmas parade as a prelude.Hough highlighted that the practice sessions in the center of the court are an invaluable competitive advantage for Australian players. Captain Tim Paine acknowledged the importance of these sessions:“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.”
Damian Hough
Kohli’s adaptation, who did not participate in the practice match at the SCG, will be crucial. This is Kohli’s only test match in the series, before Ajinkya Rahane takes over the leadership in the remaining three matches. The Australians, with their attack led by Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon, have succeeded in getting Kohli out early in the previous two series. Paine commented on the plans to face Kohli:“We were very lucky to get to Adelaide early,” he said. “We trained three nights in a row in the middle of the court at Adelaide Oval, which I think will be a great advantage for our team.”
Tim Paine
Paine added that the team has several plans to face Kohli, taking advantage of the diversity of their attack, including Nathan Lyon and the incorporation of Green. Paine, who values his test career, feels no fatigue from the “bubble” format.“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”.
Tim Paine
The 2020 edition of this showdown promises to be unforgettable, at a time when many in the world are still confined by the pandemic.“No, not at all. I love it, to be honest,” Paine said. “I don’t think this ‘bubble’ 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 ‘bubble’ might make me play longer, if anything.”
Tim Paine
