The iconic Adelaide Oval could host a Boxing Day Test after 44 years as Cricket Australia (CA) charts contingency plans for next summer's Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India in case required to shift the traditional encounter from the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
The state of Victoria where the MCG is placed is dealing with a dangerous second wave of the pandemic, with COVID-19 positive cases on the rise for now 7-8 weeks.
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If CA is indeed forced to go down that path, the Adelaide Oval will be the front-runner to host the match from December 26-30, as South Australia has dealt with the health crisis significantly better than most states down under.
"From our perspective, we are very serious in being very interested and available and able to host the Boxing Day Test if that became available," Cricbuzz quoted South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) chief Keith Bradshaw as saying.
"At the moment, it's still fixtured to be at the MCG. If that were not able to be the case then we are certainly ready, willing and able to put our hand up and host that Test match and we'd be very excited and capable of doing so. I don't think there'd be a better place in Australia where you can hold it than in Adelaide," he added.
The Cricbuzz report mentions, "Victoria has been in a state of lockdown ever since mid-July and the Stage 4 restrictions, which include curfews and control over people's movements, are set to stay at this stage till September 13."
"The restrictions have fortunately resulted in a reduction in case numbers across the state, which recorded its lowest figure since the second outbreak on Friday (August 21)."
"There is a possibility that the lockdown continues for a bit longer with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews hoping to bring his state to a 'Covid-normal' stage by Christmas."
CA's interim CEO Nick Hockley did say that the governing body will do everything it can in being able to keep the Boxing Day Test at MCG and hence, a decision on the matter won't be taken till very late.
Bradshaw informed that the state associations have been given no deadline on the matter but said SACA is geared up for all possibilities.
"There is no deadline at the moment. CA are working with Victoria and the MCC and at the moment, they believe that they're still going to be able to host that Boxing Day Test match. From our perspective, we are ready to jump in if that's not able to occur and to host that match. We'd be very keen to do so," he said.
As per the schedule, India's four-Test series against Australia is due to begin in Brisbane on December 3, followed by matches in Adelaide (December 11-15), Melbourne (December 26-30) and Sydney (January 3-7).
