Australia and India will look to draw first blood when they go up against each other in the longest format of the game for the first test at Adelaide Oval from Thursday, December 17.
In Cricket, every match is a hard-fought contest as teams play to win at all cost. At the same time, there are some traditional rivalries – one such rivalry from antediluvian is the rivalry between India and Australia. Both are evenly competitive teams attempting to give their best on the field.
Apart from a few prejudiced affairs, there was never a dull moment in matches involving India and Australia, both on and off the field. It was like watching a close contest going the distance.
Virat Kohli’s Australian tour will come to an end at the conclusion of the first Test in Adelaide as he will fly back to India for the birth of their first child. Ajinkya Rahane, who’ll lead in Kohli’s absence for the remainder of the Test series, has the confidence of the regular captain who feels his deputy will be able to do a tremendous job.
India – Jasprit Bumrah is the only Indian to make it to the Top 10 of the ICC Men’s Bowling Rankings, has grabbed 68 wickets in 14 Test Matches so far and averages 20.34 in Tests. He has been the go to bowler for the Indian skipper and it’s a no brainer that he has high expectations from the pacer.
Prithvi Shaw at the top of the order and will undergo his biggest challenge ever. India have an intrepid and fearless in the form of Virat Kohli. Courage and patience in the form of Cheteshwar Pujara and neither of the two shrink or pull out from a fight and both are capable of determining the result of a test match all on their own.
Australia – Pat Cummins is the current number 1 Test Cricket bowler, has pursued 143 scalps in just 30 Test matches so far and becomes almost unplayable in the cloudy conditions. He will lead the pace attack for the Aussies.
While David Warner has been ruled out of the encounter due to a groin strain he suffered in the ODI series. Australia’s opening combination is still a big question mark. Although, Steve Smith’s record in red-ball cricket need not be spoken of, and his average against India – 84.06 – will give bowlers plenty of restless nights.
Pitch Report
Adelaide Oval has played host to four days/night Tests. The fast bowlers and the batsmen dominated the first phase of the pink-ball games, while the spin bowlers achieved much success in the latter stages. Any day-night game features grass on the pitch to protect the pink ball. Although Kookaburra have made considerable advancements so that the amount greenery doesn’t scare batsmen anymore, there will still be plenty of movement early on.
Weather Conditions
There are no chances of rain in Adelaide during the five days of the Test match. The sky will remain partly cloudy, with the temperature looming around 23 degrees Celsius.
India (Playing XI): Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah
Australia (Probable XI) : Joe Burns, Mathew Wade, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Tim Paine(c/wk), Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood
In conclusion, any series involving India and Australia has always been exciting. The chances and results have kept oscillating from one team to the other right through the past.
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