India's tour of Australia could begin in Adelaide or Brisbane
The much-awaited Australian tour of Team India will likely begin in either Adelaide or Brisbane, instead of Perth. Notably, Western Australia state government have clarified there won't be any relaxation in quarantine guidelines in their territory. According to the international calendar, India are scheduled to tour Down Under in December this year for the usual four-match Test series. Here is more.
Adelaide Oval might host back-to-back Tests
Earlier this year, Cricket Australia announced the full schedule of the impending summer, however the venues are yet be decided. As per a report in ESPNcricinfo, the Adelaide Oval is prepared to host consecutive Tests, including a Day/Night game and the Boxing Day Test. This will be the case if the MCG remains unavailable due to rising number of cases in Victoria.
Here is what the Premier of WA state government said
Mark McGowan, the Premier of the Western Australia state government, said playing at multiple venues could expose the teams to the virus. "We didn't think it was acceptable to have the team return from a high-risk overseas location and then take part in normal training activities outside of quarantine, before flying out to another state to play games," he said.
'The model presented by CA had too many risks'
"There were just too many risks in the model put forward by Cricket Australia. We need to remain vigilant and do the right thing by all Western Australians and not take unnecessary chances," he added.
What did CA plan initially?
As per Cricket Australia's (CA) initial plans, the Aussies, who are currently touring England, and the Indian players would have entered the country through Perth. Both the teams were supposed to train and quarantine in Perth ahead of the series. However, the Western Australia (WA) state government announced strict hotel quarantine for international travellers in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.
The four venues that were earlier marked for the series
Earlier, as many as four venues were were locked by Cricket Australia for the impending Test series (The Gabba, Adelaide Oval, MCG, and SCG). Considering the incumbent schedule, the series is scheduled to run from December 3 to January 7.
The tour is likely to commence with a limited-overs series
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has requested the CA to allow player training during quarantine inside the bio-bubble, which is not possible in Perth. Meanwhile, several reports suggest that the tour is likely to start with limited-overs matches (T20 series), instead of the Test series. The CA is expected to announce a revised schedule this week.
