(Credit Reuters Photo)
Cricket Australia (CA) has scheduled two first-class matches to prepare for the eagerly awaited five-match Test series between India and Australia. These games between India A and Australia A will offer players from both teams a valuable opportunity to get ready for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT).
The initial match will take place at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay from October 31 to November 3. The second match is scheduled for the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) from November 7 to 10. Before the first Test, the visiting team will also play an intra-squad practice game at the WACA from November 15 to 17.
For the first time in over 30 years, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 will be decided over five Test matches. The Australian cricket team has not won a Test series against India since 2017, having lost the last four series by a margin of 2-1, including two home series defeats in 2018-19 and 2020-21.
Peter Roach says Will Provide Great Opportunities To Players.
Cricket Australia has confirmed that both A matches will hold first-class status. Peter Roach, CA’s Head of Cricket Operations and Scheduling, emphasized the importance of these A matches, noting that they offer players crucial opportunities to prove themselves for selection.
“Australia A will take on India A as a prelude to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy this summer as the two top-ranked Test nations prepare for their hugely anticipated showdown,” a CA statement on Twitter (now X) read.
“To have that running simultaneously with the women’s ODIs and preceded by two significant Australia A v India A matches will be terrific for our fans. Hosting those A matches at the upgraded Great Barrier Reef Arena and the MCG give these ‘A’ matches significant status and will provide great opportunities to players from both sides to put up their hand for selection,” said Peter Roach.
Australia might encounter scheduling conflicts with their A matches coinciding with ODIs and T20Is against Pakistan. The selectors will need to determine which players from the white-ball squads and Sheffield Shield fixtures can participate in the A side. It’s unlikely that Test players will be included in the T20Is as they prepare for the India series.
The India women’s team is scheduled to tour Australia for three ODIs in early December. These matches will take place around the time of the second men’s Test in Adelaide.
After a four-year hiatus, India will tour Australia for a Test series. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy series will begin in Perth on November 22 and conclude with the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3-7. The other matches in the five-Test series will be held in Adelaide, Brisbane, and Melbourne.
