India ready for ‘hard’ series Down Under
INDIA are promising to play “hard, aggressive” cricket when they emerge from coronavirus quarantine to face Australia in a blockbuster limited-over series beginning in Sydney today.
The first of three ODIs, followed by three Twenty20s next week, comes after the visitors had to endure wrangling over quarantine requirements and an outbreak of the virus in Melbourne, which delayed confirmation of the tour until just weeks ago.
Virat Kohli’s squad have been in isolation since their arrival a fortnight ago, although they have been allowed to train within a bio-secure bubble.
It has been an equally odd buildup for Aaron Finch’s Australia, with the likes of David Warner, Steve Smith and Pat Cummins, who played in the Indian Premier League, also undergoing the mandatory 14 days of quarantine, which ended yesterday.
The lack of international cricket this year makes it hard to determine form, although Australia head into the white-ball series on the back of beating 50-over world champions England in September.
India haven’t played together since a tour of
New Zealand in
February, when they clinched the
Twenty20 series but were whitewashed 3
0 in the ODIs.
But they can take solace from winning their last
Test and ODI series in Australia two summers ago, although Smith and Warner were banned for balltampering.
“I think it’s important to start well in the white-ball series,” said KL Rahul, who has been elevated to vicecaptain.
“We are playing for the country after a while and we are all excited to play some hard cricket, some aggressive cricket.”
India have separate squads for the one-dayers and T20s, both led by Kohli, but without Rishabh Pant, an explosive batsman who became a viral sensation on India’s 2018-19 tour with his banter behind the stumps.
Injured star opener Rohit Sharma and fastbowler Ishant Sharma are also missing. – AFP