Sourav Ganguly Reckons India's Tour Of Australia Might Be Shortened Due To The COVID-19 Crisis

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has made it clear that a full-length five-match Test series will not be possible against Australia due to the coronavirus crisis. Sourav Ganguly has also said that it is due to the guidelines imposed by the Australian government that the tour might have to be shortened.

Team India is scheduled to tour Australia from October 2020 to January 2021 to play four Tests, three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 International (T20I) matches. The T20I fixtures are scheduled to take place ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. However, with the global outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, speculations are surrounding the bilateral series.

Keeping in view the speculations around the tour, Cricket Australia CEO Kevin Roberts had earlier expressed the board’s desire to host a five-Test series against India. However, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has clearly stated that it doesn’t seem a possibility.

Sourav Ganguly Opens Up On India’s Tour Of Australia

“I don’t think it will be possible for India to participate in five Tests. There will be limited-overs games and plus we have to consider the 14-day quarantine guidelines. All this will extend the tour,” Sourav Ganguly was quoted as saying by Mid-day.

Terming their relationship with the BCCI as ‘strong’, Roberts had said a five-Test series is a possibility but not a certainty.

Kevin Roberts Had Insisted On A Five-Match Test Series

“There’s no certainty about that [five-Test series] for the coming season, but what I can say is that the relationship between the BCCI and Cricket Australia is really strong,” Roberts told reporters on a video call last month.

“We’ve discussed a shared desire to evolve to five-Test series between Australia and India in the future. It’s something we’ve both committed to in principle in the future, the big question is whether or not we can bring that in before the next future tours cycle in 2023. We don’t know what prospect there is of that next season, but certainly with a changing landscape…we won’t rule out a possibility of that until we get closer to the time,” he added.

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