Australia Announce Test Schedule for 2020/21 season | Australia Test Schedule 2020/21 | Will India’s tour of Australia go ahead?
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Cricket Australia has announced their tentative Test schedule for the upcoming 2020/21 season, with an inaugural Test against Afghanistan and four blockbuster Tests against India on the menu.
Cricket could return to Australia in the coming months, as COVID-19 restrictions ease right across the country. COVID-19 forced a cancellation of all sports in March, but now, the NRL and AFL, two of Australia’s major footballing codes, are all set to get underway (NRL May 28 and AFL June 11).
However, it remains to be seen whether crowds will feature in the Australian summer. It could all depend on how Australia fares in the next two months or so, with the fate of the World T20 to also be made clearer in the next 24-48 hours.
Australia’s Test Season
The Australian Test season will kick off on November 21-25 at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Afghanistan, Test cricket’s newest team, are set to play Australia for the first time ever in Test cricket. This will be a Day/Night match.
Then, Australia return to fortress Gabba in the first of four Tests against India. The Aussies will look to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, after Virat Kohli’s men retained it with 2-1 series win in Australia in 2018/19.
The Aussies haven’t lost a Test at the Gabba since 1988 (31 matches); the longest unbeaten streak by any side at a single venue. However, Virat Kohli, speaking in January, was relishing the challenge to break this streak.
“Whether it is the Gabba or Perth, it doesn’t matter to us,” Kohli said.
“We have the skillsets as a team to compete against anyone in the world anywhere, whether it is white ball, pink ball or red ball.
“We are absolutely up for it.”
The Adelaide Test, which follows Brisbane, will be played with the pink ball. Australia have won all their seven D/N Tests (all played at home). On the other hand, India have played just one D/N Test, thrashing Bangladesh at home in November.
Mitchell Starc, who has 59 wickets in D/N Tests at 18.63, is relishing the chance to perform well against India with the pink ball.
“I think absolutely a pink-ball Test in the series against India is a great thing,” Starc said.
“The fans love it, I think it creates a different aspect to the contest, bat and ball are closer together in that contest.
“India played a pink-ball game in India so they’re not completely foreign to it
“In terms of an advantage, if you like, we do have a good record at home with the pink ball.”
The Boxing Day Test (Melbourne) and New Year’s Test (Sydney) will round out the Test season.
Australia Test Schedule:
Only Test vs Afghanistan: 21-25 November, Optus Stadium, Perth (D/N)
1st Test vs India: December 3-7, Gabba, Brisbane
2nd Test vs India: December 11-15, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (D/N)
3rd Test vs India: December 26-30, MCG, Melbourne
4th Test vs India: January 3-7, SCG, Sydney
Seeking some cricket content during self isolation? Check out some content on CricBlog:
- Is Steve Smith the best Test batsman since Bradman?
- Top 5 Best India Test Matches since 2000
- Best South Africa Test XI Since Readmission