A combination of factors including schedule, player fatigue and viability might see India’s tour of Australia starting with the limited-overs leg instead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy later this year.
While there is no official confirmation from BCCI or Cricket Australia yet, a report published in ESPNCricinfo claims that the discussion to commence the series with ODIs and T20Is is already on the table.
According to the tentative schedule released by CA in May this year, the Men in Blue were slated to start the tour with three T20Is ahead of the T20 World Cup, which has now been rescheduled. Subsequently, Virat Kohli and company were to play four Tests and three ODIs down under from December 3 to January 17.
But COVID-19 pandemic prompted a change in schedule and the T20Is were postponed to 2022 before the T20 World Cup in Australia while it was determined that India will start their tour with the Test series.
“The one big advantage of playing half-a-dozen white-ball matches - T20Is and ODIs - at the front end of the tour will mean no games are lost from the original schedule after it was expected that the T20Is would be shifted to 2022 alongside the World Cup in the same format,” stated the report.
“That schedule is likely to change due to a combination of factors, one of which is the recent spike in Covid-19 cases in Melbourne, which forced the city into a lockdown that is due to last until mid-September. Consequently, matches are likely to be played at reduced venues to ensure there is minimal movement and players are safe within the bubble. A Test series spaced across four cities and as many states is increasingly unlikely,” the report added.
Another major factor is the solitary Test between Australia and Afghanistan which is supposed to be a day-night affair. As per the report, CA has already informed the Afghanistan Cricket Board about the start-date of the Test match to be shifted from November 21 to November 24, which will leave only a four-day gap between it and the first India Test.
Therefore, starting India series with white-ball games is a better idea. With most of the players set to come from the IPL, they won’t need extra training for limited-overs fixtures. Moreover, all six matches can be held at just one venue which will also minimise the health risk.
