Australia will kick off their international summer with limited overs series against India in Sydney and Canberra from November 27 before the four-Test series starts in Adelaide as a Day-Night match on December 17, Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed on Wednesday.
A tour worth about A$300 million to Australian cricket will commence with three one-day Internationals followed by three T20Is at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) and Canberra’s Manuka Oval, CA said in a statement.
The second Test will proceed at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the traditional Boxing Day slot on December 26, with the third Test at the SCG from January 7.
The fourth Test starts at the Gabba in Brisbane from January 15.
India’s squad will arrive in Sydney on November 12, subject to authorisation from Australian border authorities, and will undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine-cum-training period in Sydney prior to the first match of the tour.
The Indian team will get an additional Day-Night warm-up game in Sydney as a tune-up to the series-opening pink ball Test in Adelaide. This will be the first Day-Night Test played between the two teams.
India captain Virat Kohli had wanted a D-N practice game before the first Test to get used to the conditions.
Ahead of the Test series, India will play Australia A at the Drummoyne Oval, on Sydney’s suburbs, from December 6-8, in their first warm-up game before the Test series. The D-N fixture in Sydney could also be against Australia A.
The Australia A sides may feature a number of players of the Test team. For David Warner, Steve Smith, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood returning from the IPL, it would be their only chance of preparation with the red and pink balls. The first batch of Sheffield Shield matches in Adelaide conclude on November 11, a day after the IPL final.
“Across all three formats, Australia and India represents one of the great rivalries in world sport and we are delighted to welcome Virat Kohli’s outstanding squad to Australian shores this summer,” Nick Hockley, CA interim chief executive, said. “We would also like to especially thank the NSW Government for allowing players from both teams to safely prepare during quarantine.”
Confirmation of the tour will come as a great relief to CA, which has lost tens of millions of dollars owing to scheduling disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and is in a legal dispute with one of its major broadcasters.
While some social distancing restrictions remain in Australia despite Covid-19 infections slowing to a trickle, organisers are planning for crowds at all the matches.
CA said it was working with the local government on safely hosting spectators for the Melbourne Test.
