India will play an internal warm-up match in Perth in preparation for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy
India’s only warm-up match in Australia ahead of the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series will be an internal contest against the touring India ‘A’ team.
The India ‘A’ squad will arrive in Australia weeks earlier for a two-match series and will participate in a three-day warm-up game from November 15 to 17 at WACA in Perth.
The first Test is scheduled to take place at the new Perth Stadium on November 22.
Prior to this warm-up match, the India ‘A’ team, likely captained by Ruturaj Gaikwad and possibly including several Test regulars, will compete in two matches against Australia ‘A’.
The first match is set for October 31 to November 3 at the Great Barrier Reef Arena, followed by the second at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from November 7 to 10.
The Indian selectors have not yet announced the India ‘A’ squad, but this is expected to happen within the week.
Meanwhile, chief selector George Bailey is set to announce the Australia ‘A’ squad on Monday (October 14) during a media conference scheduled for 2 PM AEST.
An update on Cameron Green’s availability for the Test series is also anticipated due to a back injury.
When asked about an official warm-up match for India, a Cricket Australia (CA) official noted that no such game was planned, as the practice of warm-up matches has fallen out of favor recently.
He added that the Australian team did not play any warm-up games during their last tour of India for the four-Test series in February-March 2023.
“It’s an internal match, so it’s up to India how they utilize it.
Some Test players might participate in the India ‘A’ games, but ultimately it’s a decision for the BCCI.
Not many countries are opting for warm-up games these days.
Australia didn’t play any before their last series in India,” the CA official commented.
Peter Roach, CA’s head of Cricket Operations and Scheduling, highlighted the significance of the upcoming summer schedule when it was announced in May.
“The 2024-25 summer features the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, the first five-Test series between these two cricketing giants in over 30 years.
This series, running concurrently with the women’s ODIs and preceded by two significant Australia A vs. India A matches, will be exciting for our fans.
Hosting these A matches at the upgraded Great Barrier Reef Arena and the MCG lends them considerable status and provides great opportunities for players from both sides to push for selection.”
Following the opening Test in Perth, the series will continue with matches in Adelaide (December 6-10), Brisbane (December 14-18), Melbourne (December 26-30), and Sydney (January 3-7).
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