Australia vs India: Cricket Resurfaces in Adelaide After a Chaotic Year

Australia and India Face Off in Adelaide: A Classic in Times of Pandemic

In 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 view of the scoreboard and the iconic Moreton Bay trees provide a sense of continuity, an essential element in Test cricket, and will be 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 more special than any other in the last 20 years. The series itself is an achievement, considering the challenges that arose. Since 1999, Australia and India have contested 12 Test series, the same number that Australia has played against England in the Ashes series in the same period. Uncertainty about the series taking place was present during the difficult months of March, April and May, when the sports world was paralyzed. Recently, the obstacles focused on how to carry out the series, despite the goodwill between Cricket Australia and the BCCI. For CA’s interim chief executive Nick Hockley and chairman Earl Eddings, the challenges centered on finding a point of entry for the charter plane carrying the visiting team. Initial plans to land in Perth were moved to Adelaide, then to Brisbane, before Sydney, Canberra, the New South Wales government and the SCG Trust took the lead. The negotiation with the Queensland government was a moment of high tension. Even after the arrival of the Indians, there was a possibility that a Covid outbreak in Adelaide would disrupt the series. For a long time, the Adelaide Oval was scheduled to host at least one and possibly two test matches, given the extended quarantine Melbourne faced. Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough has had to deal with rock concerts and changes to football matches in the past, but this year he prepared a test pitch with a Christmas parade instead of the Sheffield Shield matches.

“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

Hough also commented on the field preparation and the competitive advantage this represents for the Australian team. Training sessions in the center court represent a competitive advantage for the Australians, who arrived earlier than those who played against India A on a different surface at the SCG, something that Paine did not hesitate to point out.

Paine highlighted the importance of preparation in Adelaide, especially with the pink ball and the changing conditions under the lights. Kohli’s adaptation will be crucial, as this is his only test match in the series, before Ajinkya Rahane takes over the leadership in the remaining three matches. With an attack led by Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon, Australia has succeeded in dismissing Kohli early in the last two series. Paine recognizes Kohli’s ability to adapt and cause damage. Paine discussed the tactical plans and strategies that have been prepared to face Kohli, highlighting the diversity of the Australian attack and the different options available. Paine, who values his test cricket career, expressed his enthusiasm for the game and how life in the “bubble” has been positive for him, even suggesting that he could play longer because of this. In a year full of challenges, the clash between Australia and India promises to be a memorable sporting event.