Australia vs India: Cricket Resurges After a Chaotic Year

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

The stage is the Adelaide Oval, the same place where their previous encounter began in 2018. In a year marked by the pandemic, Australia and India prepare for a new confrontation, this time in a day/night test, the first for India away from home. The presence of the old scoreboard and the imposing Moreton Bay fig trees at the northern end of the field offer a sense of continuity, an essential element in test cricket. This will be the backdrop for the teams led by Tim Paine and Virat Kohli. This encounter between two of cricket’s most powerful nations holds special significance, considering the challenges that have arisen since they began facing each other almost constantly two decades ago. The very realization of the series is an achievement. Despite the financial forces driving these encounters, with 12 test series since 1999, those involved experienced moments of uncertainty about the possibility of the series taking place. In the difficult months of March, April and May, when the world of sport stopped, the concern about the cancellation of the series was palpable. Recently, the obstacles to its realization focused on ensuring that it would take place, despite the good will between Cricket Australia and the BCCI. For Cricket Australia, the main challenge was finding an entry point for the visiting team’s charter plane. Initial plans to land in Perth were moved to Adelaide, then to Brisbane, before finally being defined in Sydney, Canberra and the New South Wales government. Even after the arrival of the Indians, a Covid outbreak in Adelaide could have jeopardized the series. Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough, who has dealt with rock concerts and changes to football matches, prepared a test match pitch with a Christmas event as a prelude.

“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

The training sessions in the center of the field represent a competitive advantage for the Australians, who arrived earlier than those who played for Australia A on a different surface at the SCG, something that Paine did not hesitate to point out.

The clash between Virat Kohli and Tim Paine is eagerly anticipated.Paine emphasized the importance of arriving early in Adelaide to train in the center of the field, which he considers a crucial advantage for the team. Kohli’s adaptation, who did not play in the practice match at the SCG, will be a key factor. This will be Kohli’s only test in the series, making it an even more special event before Ajinkya Rahane takes over the leadership in the remaining three matches. Australians, with their arsenal of bowlers like Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon, have succeeded in dismissing Kohli early in the last two series. However, Kohli has shown his ability to inflict damage on the most formidable attacks.

“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 undoubtedly one of the best players, if not the best player in the world,” Paine said.

Tim Paine

Paine commented on the plans to face Kohli, acknowledging that players of his caliber sometimes manage to escape. He highlighted the diversity of their attack and the variety of options to counter Kohli. Paine, who values his cricket career, doesn’t feel fatigue from the “bubbles” and enjoys the experience. He highlighted that life in the bubble could even prolong his time in the sport. The events of 2020 have ensured that this new chapter is as vibrant as any sporting competition, at a time when many in the world are still confined by the pandemic.