Reports | India set to kick-off Test series with pink-ball encounter in Adelaide on December 17
India defeated Australia in their previous trip Down Under 2-1
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After weeks of speculation, another round of reports has confirmed that India will kick-off the Test series Down Under with a day-night encounter at the Adelaide Oval. The second Boxing Day Test is set to be played in Melbourne, with third and fourth in Sydney and Brisbane in January.
India’s schedule to tour Australia has been one of the most talked-about points in the last six months, barring the Indian Premier League. While there were issues raised over the safety and security of the players to play the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, ESPNCricinfo has reported that the important Test in Australian cricketing year is set to continue in Victoria, despite the increase of COVID-19 cases.
On top of that, India are set to face Australia in the pink-ball encounter at the Adelaide Oval first up in the tour. The Indian team, comprising of both red-ball and white-ball players would arrive straight from Dubai to Brisbane to spend their bout of the quarantine period. The third and the fourth Test of the series is set to be played in Sydney and Brisbane, on January 7 and January 15 respectively.
The limited-overs series, on the other hand, would be played between November 25 and December 8. While November 5 would be the kick-off of the three-match ODI series, the two sides would clash against each other, starting December 4. The visitors would also play an intra-squad warmup game at the Adelaide Oval before the first Test.
However, the last step of the hurdle is that Cricket Australia is yet to receive the final-go from the state-governments in the country, which has blocked the itinerary from becoming official, owing to their respective quarantine rules.
