It’s on! Dates and venues for India tour confirmed

The opening game of Australia’s highly anticipated clash with India is less than a month away after Cricket Australia finally confirmed details of the men’s international summer today.

The full schedule, which starts with limited-overs games in Sydney and Canberra before the Vodafone test series begins in Adelaide with an initial day-night test between countries, follows after the NSW government passed tough bio-security plans last week CA has approved let India’s 32-player roster and Australian players returning from the Indian Premier League train while they serve their 14-day quarantine period.

The group is expected to arrive en masse on November 12 on a charter flight from Dubai – the IPL finale is scheduled for the early hours of November 11, Australian time – and enter hotel quarantine despite the Australian border force making the trip still needs to approve plans.

The Australian IPL contingent and the Indian squad named earlier this week were due to clear the quarantine on November 26 and play the opening game of the Dettol ODI Series at the Sydney Cricket Ground the following day, November 27.

SCG will also host the second ODI on November 29th before the series changes to the third ODI on December 2nd in Canberra’s Manuka Oval. All three ODIs will be day-night affairs.

Of Australia’s likely ODI squad, only Marnus Labuschagne and Mitchell Starc are not involved in the IPL, and this pair cannot bond with their quarantined teammates for group training until the day before the opening game. Australia’s limited overs squad is expected to be revealed later this week.

India only played two ODIs in Manuka and lost both. The most recent against Australia in early 2016 was a high-profile thriller in which Aaron Finch and Virat Kohli scored goals for centuries.

The Canberra venue will then host the opening game of the Dettol T20I series on December 4th before the two teams return to the SCG for two more T20Is on December 6th and 8th. All three T20Is are played at night.

An Australian senior squad will also play two games against the Indians, with a three-day red ball game at the Drummoyne Oval on December 6th and 8th, followed by a three-day day-night match with the pink ball at SCG’s December 11th to 13th.

Both Australia A games will be broadcast live on Cricket.com.au and the CA Live app.

It remains to be seen how both sides will deal with their players’ preparation for the post-IPL test series, with Australians Pat Cummins, David Warner, Steve Smith and Josh Hazlewood having not played a red ball match since January’s New Years Test the SCG.

While the Red Ball Tour match at Drummoyne Oval coincides with the final two T20Is between Australia and India at SCG, all players will be available for the Pink Ball day-night warm-up whatever the prospect of a Star-Star increased clash, with the SCG clash officially listed as Australia A versus India.

The main focus will then be shifted to Adelaide, with an initial day-night test between countries to start the Vodafone test series in the Adelaide Oval from December 17th.

Neither Australia, the current test nation No. 1, nor India, the holder of the Border Gavaskar trophy, lost a day-night test. Australia have beaten New Zealand, South Africa, England and Pakistan in day-night clashes in Adelaide, while Kohli scored a century in India’s innings win over Bangladesh in India’s only day-night clash.

The Boxing Day Test is scheduled for the MCG to further empower Melbourne residents. The city recorded its first day of zero new cases of COVID19 since July on Monday, and Prime Minister Daniel Andrews announced a significant easing of the state’s lockdown conditions.

„“Regarding the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, we are working with the Victorian Government and Melbourne Cricket Club on plans to safely accommodate spectators at the legendary event. Details will need to be confirmed in due course.“Said Nick Hockley, interim CEO of CA, in a statement.

“The safety of the Australian community and all participants is our top priority. We will continue to work with governments across Australia to ensure the schedule is in line with relevant instructions and biosecurity protocols. ”

It is believed that while firm decisions have not yet been made on audience capacity, all international games this summer will have fans. The staggering of tickets is expected to begin in mid-November.

Sydney’s annual New Years test starts a little later than usual on January 7th to give players extra peace of mind between the second and third games of the series.

That means the series will end with four games at the Gabba, a fortress for Australia that hasn’t lost at the venue since 1988. This series spans 31 games. The fourth test will be played from January 15th to 19th.

The Gabba had won the right to host the series’ opening game on CA’s first international schedule, which had to be redrawn due to the COVID19 pandemic.

Brisbane appeared to be well placed to host the Indians for their quarantine. All six white ball games were to be played in southeast Queensland. After several weeks of planning, CA turned to Sydney after Queensland officials caught a cold over the idea of ​​letting the international comers land in the state.

CA already had a close relationship with the NSW government, which had a comprehensive and strict biosecurity plan for the ongoing Rebel WBBL season, which is played entirely in town.

“In all three formats, Australia and India represent one of the great rivalries in world sport. We are excited to welcome Virat Kohli’s outstanding squad to the Australian shores this summer,” Hockley said in a statement.

“We worked closely with the BCCI for many months to bring this tour to life, and I can’t speak better about the professional, thorough and collaborative way they approached this tour during these extraordinary and complex times .

“I would like to thank all BCCI employees for the trust and support they have shown in the plan we have developed. We believe this will result in a safe and successful summer for everyone involved.

„“We’d also like to thank the New South Wales Government in particular for making sure players on both teams can safely prepare during the quarantine, as well as other governments and health agencies who have worked with us to host a series that I will no doubt be on the memories of all who experience it will live long.

“I would also like to thank all Australian cricketers and our valued partners for working tirelessly to overcome the challenges and create a schedule that will bring joy and excitement to hundreds of millions of fans at home and abroad.”

CA published an international schedule back in May at the behest of its broadcast partners. Despite the successful women’s internationals against New Zealand earlier this month, there have been scheduled visits to Zimbabwe, the West Indies, Afghanistan and New Zealand, as well as the US T20 Men’s World Cup – all postponed due to the COVID19 pandemic.

The redrawn game means there won’t be any international men’s cricket in Perth this summer as the border with Western Australia is still closed while Hobart is also out.

However, Tasmania is expected to play a prominent role when the KFC BBL game is announced, which CA will now conclude after travel preparations for the men’s internationals are completed.

India Tour of Australia 2020-21

Dettol ODI Series versus India

First ODI: November 27, SCG, 2.40 p.m. AEDT

Second ODI: November 29, SCG, 2.40 p.m. AEDT

Third ODI: December 2, Manuka Oval, 2.40 p.m. AEDT

Dettol T20 INTL Series versus India

First T20: December 4th, Manuka Oval, 7:10 p.m. AEDT

Second T20: December 6, SCG, 7:10 p.m. AEDT

Third T20: December 8, SCG, 7:10 p.m. AEDT

Tour games

Australia A versus India A, 6-8 December, Drummoyne Oval

Australia A vs. Indians, 11.-13. December, SCG (day-night)

Vodafone Test Series against India

First test: December 17-21, Adelaide Oval, 3 p.m. AEDT (day-night)

Second test: 26.-30. December, MCG, 10.30 a.m. AEDT

Third test: January 7-11, SCG, 10.30 a.m. AEDT

Fourth test: 15.-19. January, Gabba, 11 a.m. AEDT

* The games and travel are still subject to applicable government restrictions or requirements.