Ahead of the 2019 World Cup, the Australian team will be touring India to play limited-overs cricket and on Thursday, the BCCI has announced the complete schedule for the tour which is slated to commence next month. The Aussies will play two T20Is and five ODI in India, starting with the shortest format in Visakhapatnam (Vizag) on February 24 and Bengaluru three days later.
After the T20I series, both teams will move on for the five-match ODI series which will play a crucial role in both the teams’ fine-tuning before their World Cup campaign. The first ODI will be hosted in Hyderabad on March 2 before the tour moves around India to Nagpur (March 5), Ranchi (March 8), Mohali (March 10) and will be concluded in Delhi (March 13).
The series will be crucial for Australia’s selectors as they will be finalizing their 15-man World Cup squad, which is expected to be submitted to the ICC by April 23.
ALSO READ: Ravi Shastri Reveals India’s First Choice Bowler For World Cup 2019
India has only 13 ODI games between now and their first World Cup match against South Africa on June 5; three matches in Australia from January 12, the five matches in New Zealand later this month and then five more against Australia in India.
Australia last won an ODI series in India 10 years ago when Ricky Ponting led the team for s 4-2 win in the seven-match series Mike Hussey leading the run-scorers and Shane Watson the top wicket-taker. Since that triumph in 2009, Australia has lost their last three ODI series in India. However, the 2010 and 2013 series featured two complete washouts.
10 days after this tour, the Indian players will feature in the IPL for the whole of April and first two weeks of May, before embarking to England for the 2019 World Cup scheduled to commence on May 30.
Schedule for Australia tour to India:
- First T20: February 24, Visakhapatnam
- Second T20: February 27, Bengaluru
- First ODI: March 2, Hyderabad
- Second ODI: March 5, Nagpur
- Third ODI: March 8, Ranchi
- Fourth ODI: March 10, Mohali
- Fifth ODI: March 13, Delhi
