The Indian team looks all set for their upcoming tour of Australia, which as per the tentative schedule shared by Cricket Australia (CA), begins in November 2020. It will include a 3-match ODI and 3-match T20I series as well.
The first two ODIs on November 27 and 29 are set to be played at the SCG, the third ODI on December 1 and the first T20I on December 4 will take place at Canberra's Manuka Oval, before the teams return to Sydney for the final two T20Is at the SCG on December 6 and 8.
Then it will be followed by the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series, with a pink-ball Test is scheduled to be held at Adelaide Oval between December 17-21, with Adelaide also the backup option for the Boxing Day Test, if the COVID-19 situation in Melbourne gets bad.
Otherwise, Melbourne will be the venue for Boxing Day (December 26-30) followed by Tests in Sydney (January 7-11) and finally Brisbane (January 15-19).
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The Indian team members, many of whom participating in the ongoing IPL 2020 in UAE, are supposed to fly to Sydney next month and quarantine for 14 days there.
BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has revealed that Team India will follow the quarantine protocols in Australia and is also in discussion with CA on making the bio bubble stronger for the visitors.
"So far it is ahead. The initial part will be in Sydney. We are still in discussions on how to get the bio part and medical parts stronger because it's a long tour but I am told Australia is COVID free at the moment, there aren't many cases. Basically, we are trying to get everything in place and make sure it is safe. That's all," Ganguly told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Ganguly also said that given that it is a long tour and many of the players are already away from their families in UAE, Cricket Australia would try to accommodate the families of cricketers while on tour Down Under.
"We have requested that [families of cricketers to be accommodated on tour] because they have been in the IPL for a long time and then they go straight from the IPL to Australia because there is a 14-day quarantine. It will be solved. They [players] have already been living in a bubble for the last 80 days," he added.
"I don't see a reason why the families won't be allowed to come. The Australian cricket board is trying to accommodate the families. It should be okay,” Ganguly added.
