The officials of Cricket Australia (CA) are still trying their best to convince reluctant Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to play a day-night Test in Adelaide this year after releasing their international playing schedule on Monday. CA has scheduled the opening Test of the four-Test India series in Adelaide from December 6-10, with hopes it will be a pink ball Test following concept successes against New Zealand, South Africa, and England in recent past.
Australia reckons that the day-night Test cricket is the future of the longest format and perhaps the only way to save Test cricket despite boom television ratings and record crowds. But the powerful BCCI have so far resisted CA’s overtures.
Talking about the issue CA chief James Sutherland said, “It is our preference that we play India in a day-night Test match in Adelaide, but we are still working through this detail and hope to have an answer on this in the coming weeks.”
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Sutherland has been pushing hard at International Cricket Council (ICC) level for the new Test Championship schedule to include day-night Tests, but the powerful BCCI has a big say in outcomes. The Australian summer will start on November 4 with the first of three ODIs against South Africa before the one-off T20 against the Proteas on the Gold Coast, which will be followed by three T20s against India preceding the start of the Test summer.
Speaking about the same further Sutherland said, “Our men’s international season structure changes slightly this summer, with one-day and T20 international matches against South Africa and India in November.”
Adelaide opens the Test series against India for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and Perth Stadium will host the following match, before the series moves back to Melbourne and Sydney for the traditional Boxing Day and New Year’s Tests.
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Following the Test series, there will be three-match ODI series as well against India while will commence in Sydney and conclude in Melbourne. In the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India defeated Australia by 2-1 at home in 2017.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2018-19 Schedule
Twenty20 Internationals
November 20 – 1st T20I – Gabba, Brisbane
November 23 – 2nd T20I – Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
November 25 – 3rd T20I – Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Test Series
December 6-10 – 1st Test – Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
December 14-18 – 2nd Test – Perth Stadium, Perth
December 26-30 – 3rd Test – Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
January 3-7 – 4th Test – Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
ODI Series
January 12 – 1st ODI – Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
January 15 – 2nd ODI – Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
January 18 – 3rd ODI – Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
