Australia and India: A Classic in Times of Pandemic
After a year marked by COVID-19, Australia and India face each other at the Adelaide Oval, the scene of their 2018 encounter. This inaugural match of the series will be a day/night test for India, playing away from home. The continuity of Test cricket is manifested in the scoreboard and the Moreton Bay trees, creating a special atmosphere for the teams of Tim Paine and Virat Kohli. This encounter, the first of many between two cricket powers in the last 20 years, takes on a special value, especially after doubts about its realization due to the pandemic. Financial forces drove 12 test series between Australia and India since 1999, matching Australia’s Ashes series against England in the same period. This year, participants and spectators feared cancellation. During the critical months of March, April and May, with the sport paralyzed, the possibility of cancellation was real. The difficulties in carrying out the series focused on the obstacles to its organization, despite the goodwill between Cricket Australia and the BCCI. CA’s interim chief executive Nick Hockley and chairman Earl Eddings faced challenges in finding a port of entry for the visiting team. Initial plans in Perth were moved to Adelaide, then to Brisbane, before settling on Sydney, Canberra and the New South Wales government. Even after India’s arrival, a Covid outbreak in Adelaide threatened the series. Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough adapted to the changes, preparing the pitch for a test match with unusual preparation.The preparation of the Australian team, with sessions in the center of the field, could be a competitive advantage. The Australian captain, Tim Paine, highlighted the advantage of training in the Adelaide Oval outfield, crucial for the game with the pink ball. Kohli’s adaptation, who did not play in the warm-up match at the SCG, will be key. This will be Kohli’s only test match in the series, before Ajinkya Rahane takes over the captaincy. The Australians, with players like Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon, will look to limit Kohli, who has demonstrated his ability to excel against the best attacks. Paine acknowledges Kohli’s skill and states that his team has plans to neutralize him. Tactical discussions and pre-match plans offer a respite from Covid protocols and border restrictions. Paine, who values his test career, feels no bubble fatigue. Paine says he enjoys the concentration and the atmosphere. The frequency of encounters between India and Australia, along with the events of 2020, ensure that this chapter will be a memorable sporting event.“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 a little more in the moment.”
Damian Hough