Australia and India Clash in Adelaide: A Duel Marked by Uncertainty and Excitement
In a year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, Australia and India prepare for a new confrontation at the Adelaide Oval, the same venue where their previous series began in 2018. The iconic scoreboard and Moreton Bay trees offer a sense of continuity in test cricket, a backdrop for Tim Paine and Virat Kohli’s teams in India’s first day/night Test away from home. This encounter between two of the most powerful cricket nations promises to be unforgettable, especially after a year with many doubts about the series taking place. Financial difficulties and obstacles to carrying out the matches generated uncertainty until the last moment. The concern focused on finding an entry point for the charter plane carrying the Indian team. Initial plans to land in Perth were modified, going through Adelaide and Brisbane, before finally settling on Sydney, Canberra and the New South Wales government. Even after the arrival of the Indians, a Covid outbreak in Adelaide threatened to disrupt the series. Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough faced preparing a test pitch with a Christmas parade, instead of Sheffield Shield matches, as preparation. “One thing we’ve learned with Covid is to live more in the present,” Hough said.“We like to plan months in advance. We still had plans, but we had to live in the moment a little more,” he added.
Damian Hough, curator of the Adelaide Oval
Training sessions in the center of the playing field are presented as a competitive advantage for the Australians. “We have been very lucky to arrive early in Adelaide,” commented captain Tim Paine. “We trained three nights in a row in the center of the playing field at the Adelaide Oval, which I think will be a great advantage for our team.”
Kohli’s adaptation, who did not participate in the practice match in Sydney, will be crucial. Furthermore, this will be Kohli’s only test match in the series, before Ajinkya Rahane takes over the captaincy in the remaining three matches. With an attack like that of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon, the Australians have succeeded in dismissing Kohli early in the previous two series. Paine acknowledged Kohli’s quality, but assured that his team has plans to counter him. “We have plans that have worked well against him in the past; hopefully they work early enough this week.” Paine, who values his cricket career more than most, doesn’t feel bubble fatigue. “I love it, to be honest,” he said. “I don’t think this bubble has been as strict as the IPL or England’s. I sleep very well; my children are at home, which is good in a way, but I miss them. I sleep better here and feel fresher here than at home, so life in the bubble could make me play longer.” The frequency of encounters between India and Australia has been high in recent years, but the events of 2020 have ensured that this new chapter is as exciting as any other sporting event amid the pandemic.