Australia Announce Schedule For India Series

The much-awaited blockbuster four-match Test series between India and Australia will get underway on December 6. Adelaide will host the series-opener. But while the schedule is announced, there is still no certainty over whether the pink-ball Adelaide Oval Test will happen.

According to reports, the BCCI is still hesitant to play the day-night Test which is fast becoming an important feature of Australian summer. Last year, Australia had hosted England in a historic first-ever Ashes day-night Test. Australia and New Zealand had played the inaugural pink-ball Test in 2015. The team from Down Under have won all four of their pink ball Tests. Just like Australia, all the other major teams have already got a taste of playing with the pink ball under the lights.

However, India is still to get a taste of cricket’s latest innovations. There are speculations that the world number one Test side might break the duck against the Windies in October.

Meanwhile, the BCCI and its Australia counterpart are still negotiating over the Adelaide Test’s status. As a result, Cricket Australia has not been able to release their summer schedule.

“It is our preference that we play India in a Day-Night Test match in Adelaide, but we are still working through this detail and hope to have an answer on this in the coming weeks,” James Sutherland, Cricket Australia chief executive, said on Monday (April 30).

Following the Adelaide Test, the teams will move to Perth to create a piece of history. It will be the first Test at the newly-built Perth Stadium. The game will start on December 14. It will be followed by the traditional Boxing Day and New Year’s Tests in Melbourne and Sydney respectively.

“The Border-Gavaskar Trophy promises to be a bumper series, and it will be headlined by the world famous Boxing Day Test at the MCG,” Sutherland said. “There, we will also deliver a large-scale community festival in partnership with the Victorian Government, which will be a terrific celebration of Indian culture.”

Meanwhile, Australia’s summer extravaganza will kick-start on November 4 with an ODI against South Africa.

On the other hand, India will start their tour with three Twenty20s starting on November 21 at the Gabba. After the Test series, the Men in Blue will play three ODIs against the reigning world champions.

India tour of Australia 2018-19: