Former Australia captain Ian Chappell was of the opinion that his countrymen and their Indian counterparts will have quality preparation for the two nation's much-anticipated Test series down under later this year via the preceding 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in UAE.
Chappell understands staying in bio-secure bubbles amid COVID-19 pandemic is as much of a mental task as it is physical.
But one of the game's prominent voices also thinks there is a need to look at the brighter side of things, with players from both countries getting to play high intense cricket before the tussle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
"One thing is certain: where there's a will, there's a way, and the better players are dedicated to finding a solution," Chappell wrote in a column for ESPNcricinfo.
"In case of Indian players, and some of the Australians, they will at least have some challenging IPL cricket in the lead-up to the December series."
The IPL 2020, Chappell says, "may not seem like ideal preparation for a tough Test series in Australia", but the advantages of going through the hard grind for the best part of two months shouldn't be lost on anyone.
Chappell cited an example to stress home his point. "After a stint in the IPL, Bopara was asked on return to England if this was appropriate preparation for a Test match. He responded by saying that 'looking to score at every opportunity gets your feet moving positively'. He proved his point emphatically by scoring back-to-back centuries against West Indies."
After the tournament in UAE, Indian players will directly fly across to the gulf. Chappell thinks the visiting teams carrying the pressure of not just performance but also the need to follow health safety measures will find it harder to get past home sides in these times.
"With venue bubbles, isolation rules, social distancing and a number of changes to playing conditions, adapting to international competition has been testing for players," he wrote.
"It's made life difficult and different even in a team environment but imagine the individual's dilemma in enforced isolation with a tour looming."
"The physical preparation is not so difficult, especially for self-starters, but how do you stay in cricket shape?"
However, Chappell who has always been in awe of skipper Virat Kohli's team, doesn't believe the Indians will just go through the motion. He expects a genuine effort in their quest to repeat the previous tour's historic series-winning feat.
"The Indian players could well adopt this attitude for a series in Australia that will impact the Border-Gavaskar trophy, the World Test Championship and their personal pride."
"It's unlikely India will have the luxury of lead-up matches against tough opposition. More likely it will be intra-squad games, which can be helpful if selection is judicious and pits good bowlers against equally talented batsmen. The downside is the fast bowlers are often wary of injuring their own players," he concluded.
(Inputs from PTI)
