Australia and India clash in Adelaide in a Historic Test Match
In a year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, Australia and India prepare for a showdown at the Adelaide Oval, the same venue where their previous series began in 2018. The familiar 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 the backdrop for the teams led by 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. After difficult months where the sport was on pause, uncertainty surrounded the realization of the series. Cricket Australia (CA) thanked the collaboration of the administrators and players of India, who did not raise major inconveniences for the tour. The obstacles for CA, led by Nick Hockley and Earl Eddings, focused on securing an entry point for the Indian team’s charter plane. Initial plans to land in Perth were modified to Adelaide, then to Brisbane, before Sydney, Canberra and the New South Wales government intervened. Even after India’s arrival, a Covid outbreak in Adelaide threatened the series. Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough, who has organized rock concerts and sporting events, prepared for a test match with a “Christmas party” instead of Sheffield Shield games.Practice sessions in the center of the playing field seem to be a competitive advantage for the Australians, who arrived before the Australia A players. Tim Paine highlighted the advantage of training in the Adelaide Oval’s center field, which is crucial for adapting to match conditions with the pink ball and the lights. Kohli’s adaptation, who did not participate in the practice match at the SCG, will be crucial to the result in Adelaide, especially as it is his only Test of the series, before Ajinkya Rahane takes over the leadership. Australians, with players like Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon, have been successful in dismissing Kohli early in past series.“One thing we’ve learned with Covid is to live more in the present,” Hough said. “We have to plan ahead, but also live in the moment.”
Damian Hough
Amid tactical discussions and plans for the series, Paine, who values his Test career, shows no signs of “bubble fatigue”. “I love it, to be honest,” Paine said. “I’m sleeping better here and I feel fresher here than at home, so life in the bubble might make me play longer if anything.” After a year of challenges, this encounter between Australia and India promises to be an unforgettable sporting event.“Virat is one of the best players, if not the best in the world,” Paine said. “We have plans that worked well against him in the past; hopefully they work this week, but if not, we have other plans. The great advantage is that we have different types of bowlers.”
Tim Paine
