Australia vs India: Cricket resurfaces after a chaotic year

Australia and India clash in Adelaide: A duel marked by uncertainty

In a year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, Australia and India prepare for a new confrontation at the Adelaide Oval, the same stage where their last encounter began in 2018. The historic scoreboard and the emblematic Moreton Bay trees will provide a familiar backdrop for the teams led by Tim Paine and Virat Kohli in India’s first day/night Test away from home. This encounter between two of cricket’s most powerful nations promises to be even more special than their previous clashes, which have been constant for the last 20 years. The series itself is an achievement, considering the challenges that have arisen. Since 1999, Australia and India have contested 12 Test series, a number comparable to Australia’s Ashes series against England in the same period. However, this year, uncertainty about the series taking place was palpable, especially during the toughest months of the pandemic. Cricket Australia (CA) has faced significant challenges, including negotiations with state associations, governments, and broadcasters. Fortunately, the administrators and players from India did not raise major issues for the tour. The biggest challenges for CA, led by Nick Hockley and Earl Eddings, were finding a port of entry for the charter plane carrying the visiting team. Initial plans to land in Perth were modified, and Sydney, Canberra and the New South Wales government were ultimately chosen. Even after India’s arrival, a Covid outbreak in Adelaide could have disrupted the series. Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough had to adapt to changing circumstances, preparing a pitch for a test match with a Christmas event in place of Sheffield Shield games.

“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 in the moment a little more.”

Damian Hough

Practice sessions in the center court are presented as a competitive advantage for the Australian team, which arrived earlier than the Australia A players. Tim Paine did not hesitate to highlight this advantage.

Virat Kohli and Tim Paine prepare for a crucial showdown.Paine emphasized the importance of preparation in the center of the Adelaide Oval pitch, especially to adapt to the conditions of the pink ball and the lights. Kohli’s adaptation, who did not participate in the practice match at the SCG, will be crucial, especially considering that this is his only test match in the series. With Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy for the remaining three matches, this encounter becomes a unique event. The Australians, with players like Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc, will seek to limit the impact of Kohli, who has proven to be a formidable rival. “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.