Border-Gavaskar series to headline Australian summer

The Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia shall be headlining the Australian summer of 2020-2021. Cricket Australia on Thursday has announced an elaborate schedule for the country’s cricketing season with Virat Kohli’s team India taking on the hosts and World No.1 Test team Australia being the marquee series.

With the development coming in the midst of an ever-changing situation of a pandemic, Cricket Australia CEO, Kevin Roberts, has added that the fixtures are subject to change.

"While acknowledging the difficulty in navigating a global pandemic, we are nonetheless encouraged by the progress Australia is making in combatting the coronavirus," said Roberts. "We know that circumstances beyond our control could mean that the final schedule potentially may look different. We will communicate any changes if or when they are required. We'll continue to act in accordance with public health advice and government protocols to ensure the safety of the public, players and support staff.”

India will begin their tour down under with a 3-match T20 international series against the hosts, Australia. The series T20 series was scheduled to act as an entree for the ICC World T20. However, with the threat of COVID-19 looming large, the future of the world event going ahead looks uncertain. 

The main event, however, shall be the Border-Gavaskar test series, which shall begin on the 3rd of December. The Gabba, which was absent from India’s itinerary on the previous visit to the country shall host the first test between the two giants of world cricket. The two teams will then head to the picturesque Adelaide Oval where they are scheduled to play a Day-Night test match, starting on the 11th of December. The four-test series will then be concluded on the 7th of January, with the traditional Boxing day test and the New year’s test at the Melbourne Cricket ground and the Sydney Cricket ground respectively. 

"We are working closely with the BCCI to deliver the eagerly anticipated men's and women's tours," said Roberts, with regard to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The Border-Gavaskar series is one of international sport's great rivalries and this will no doubt be another enthralling chapter.”

The mega series also offers a huge opportunity for the broadcasters to grab the eyeballs of millions of viewers. "Three T20's, Three ODI's, a four-Test Series against India - Smith v Kohli, the two top-ranked Test players from two of the top-ranked Test Nations head to head on Australian soil. What a main event," added a thrilled Peter Campbell, Head of Fox Sports.

Australia shall also be hosting Afghanistan for a one-off test match to be played in Perth just before India kick-off their test matches leg of the tour. India will conclude their long stay in Australia with three ODIs scheduled to be played between the 12th and the 17th of January 2021.

[Cricbuzz inputs]