New Delhi:
Virat Kohli’s Indian cricket team are playing only one warm-up game before the start of the four-Test series against Australia starting on December 6 in Adelaide. India’s fixture against Cricket Australia XI, which was originally a three-day affair, has been upgraded to a four-day fixture and it will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The dates for the fixture are from November 28 to December 1 following which India will travel to Adelaide for the first Test. In the previous tour of Australia in 2014/15, India played two warm-up games against Cricket Australia’s Invitational XI in November at the Glenelg Oval before the four-Test series which they lost 0-2.
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India are currently involved in the three Twenty20 International series against Australia and are trailing 0-1, having lost in Brisbane and the Melbourne game getting abandoned due to rain. However, the team still has one eye on Test preparations.
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Before the Twenty20 International series, assistant coach Sanjay Bangar and training assistant Nuwan have left for Sydney to train Prithvi Shaw, Hanuma Vihari, Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane. The players began their training on Thursday at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Shaw, Vihari, Rahane and Vijay were all part of the India A squad during the unofficial four-day Test against New Zealand A and all the three batsmen will play a big part in the warm-up game. India A only managed to draw the match at Mount Maunganui.
India will play Tests in Adelaide and at the new Perth stadium while Kohli’s side will highlight the Australian summer with the traditional Boxing Day and New Year Tests in Melbourne and Sydney before rounding off the tour with three ODIs. Following the end of the Australia tour, India will travel to New Zealand for five ODIs and three Twenty20 Internationals as they look to prepare intensely for the 2019 World Cup which will be played in England.
Kohli’s team will be aiming to break their jinx in Australia, having never won a Test series here. With overseas losses in South Africa and England, India will be determined to break their overseas rut.
