India all set to begin Australia tour with ODIs in Sydney from November 27

Cricket Australia can breathe a sigh of relief as they have managed to strike a deal with the New South Wales government for training and quarantine of India and Australia players in the lead up to the limited-overs and Test series between the two powerhouses.

CA was in a spot of bother as negotiations with the Queensland government took a long time as the cricket board was made to wait 5 weeks without confirmation, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Cricket Australia had announced a tentative schedule for the Test series in which they had given the opening Test to Brisbane from December 3. However, quarantine protocols and travel regulations in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic has forced CA to reschedule the fixtures.

With CA getting the green light for India players to train while being in a quarantine period of 14 days in Sydney from the NSW government, the much-anticipated tour will kick-off with the ODI series, starting November 27. India and Australia will play the first two ODIs in Sydney before heading to Canberra for the final ODI. Canberra will also host the



first T20I before the two teams return to Sydney for the final two matches of the limited-overs leg, which is expected to be completed by December 8.

Cricket Australia is still waiting for a sign-off on the proposed quarantine plans from the Board of Control for Cricket in India but the deal with NSW gives them the much-needed boost to begin the home summer on a high. Notably, the Queensland government had expressed reservations about India players travelling for training from the hotel to nearby training facilities during the quarantine period.

Adelaide is expected to host a pink-ball Test, which will kick-off the series from December 17. The Boxing Day Test is likely to be hosted by Melbourne but Adelaide has been kept as back-up, given the Covid-19 situation in the iconic city. Sydney will host the third Test from January 7 while Brisbane, which was scheduled to host the series opener, is likely to host the final Test from January 15.

After getting the nod from the NSW government, Cricket Australia is likely to announce the revised schedule for the India series sooner than later.