The Indian men’s cricket team, minus captain Rohit Sharma, has arrived in Australia for the highly anticipated five-match Test series against Pat Cummins and the Australian squad. The 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy will kick off on November 22 in Perth. To prepare, Indian players will engage in extensive practice sessions at the iconic WACA Stadium.

Virat Kohli was the first to touch down, arriving on Sunday evening, while others like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Washington Sundar joined on Monday. Preparations are already underway, and in photos circulating online, the WACA practice nets have been shielded from public view, adding an air of secrecy to India’s training sessions.

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This practice recalls India’s 2022 approach, when they similarly covered training sessions at WACA before the T20 World Cup, drawing comparisons from fans and media. “The WACA nets are covered from public view. Which, of course, means India are in town,” a Forbes journalist noted on Twitter, highlighting the strategic privacy move.

The WACA nets are covered from public view. Which, of course, means India are in town.

It was a similar sight when India were in Perth during the 2022 T20 World Cup pic.twitter.com/KByXQBOWiE

— Tristan Lavalette (@trislavalette) November 12, 2024

Although the Indian team is training at WACA, none of the series Tests will actually be held there. The first Test in Perth will take place at the Optus Stadium, where India has played only once before—an encounter that ended with a hefty 146-run defeat under Kohli’s captaincy.

After the Perth Test, India will head to Canberra for a two-day pink ball practice match against the Prime Minister’s XI starting on November 30. Following that, the teams will meet for a day-night Test at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10.

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Australia holds strong memories of the pink-ball format, notably their dominant bowling performance that left India at a historic low of 36 all-out in their last Adelaide Test. Rohit Sharma is expected to miss the series opener due to personal reasons but should rejoin the squad for the remaining matches. In his absence, Jasprit Bumrah will take on the role of captain, leading India into what promises to be an intense opening Test.