Virat Kohli, Tim Paine
Virat Kohli, Tim Paine with the Border-Gavaskar trophy. (Photo: Getty)

Cricket Australia (CA) have kept all their options open for the four-match Test series against India at the end of this year. It is evident that the cricket board is planning ways to reduce their loss after the season was brought to a halt due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The much-anticipated Australia vs India series will help the board earn lucrative Indian TV broadcast rights which will help over the financial crisis.

The Indian cricket board also looks in readiness for the tour Down Under. The board had, however, said they would want their players to be quarantined at least for two weeks on their arrival to Australia.

Tim Paine, Virat Kohli
Tim Paine, Virat Kohli (Credits: Twitter)

Amid all this, hosting the tournament behind closed doors is also seen as an option. It will avoid the crowd from taking any risk during the pandemic situation and further also avoid risking players. Safety and health has been given the larger focus due to the pandemic situation with sweat and saliva likely to be eradicated from the matches.

Australia will have advantage in closed door games: Usman Khawaja

Usman Khawaja, who was recently snubbed for the central contract, believes it will be advantage home team if the matches are played behind closed doors. He said last time there turned out to be a larger support for India Down Under especially at the MCG.

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Australia vs India 2018-19, Kuldeep Yadav, Usman Khawaja
Usman Khawaja was dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav. (Photo by Mark Kolbe – CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images)

“It’s definitely an advantage” he told Fox Sports News with a laugh on Saturday. “I remember the last time they came over for a one-day series, the roar for India was much bigger.

“Especially in Melbourne, the amount of expats they have over there, they flock in. And when India’s on top they really let you know it.

“It’s a really weird feeling. When you’re in India, you expect to be outnumbered massively but you can be outnumbered in Melbourne, as well as Sydney to some extent also,” he added.

India beat Australia Down Under the last time both the sides faced-off. It was the first Test series win on the Australian soil India and captain Virat Kohli as well.