Australia vs India – 1st Test Match Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Australia vs India taking place? Thursday, December 17th, 2020 – 04:00 (UK)
Where is Australia vs India taking place? Adelaide Oval
What is the expected weather for Australia vs India? 24c with sunshine forecast on all five days
What channel is Australia vs India on? The match will be televised live on BT Sport 1 (Sky channel 413)
Where can I stream Australia vs India? The match can be streamed live using the BT Sport app
Where can I get tickets for Australia vs India? Tickets for this match can be purchased here!
LAST MEETING
Match drawn
THE TEAM NEWS
AUSTRALIA
- This four-Test series with India is Australia’s first Test match action in almost a year as the last time they played was last December and January when they whitewashed neighbours New Zealand 3-0.
- They will be without David Warner who is struggling with injury so the likelihood is that Joe Burns and Matthew Wade will open the batting so that may be an area that the tourists look to exploit.
- There is an expectation that Cameron Green will be handed a Test debut as the talented 21-year-old all-rounder should pass concussion protocol to take his place at number five but otherwise this Australian team will have a familiar look about it.
INDIA
- India last played Test cricket back in February and March when they travelled to New Zealand and were comprehensively outplayed losing both Test matches but they will take confidence from their last tour of Australian in December 2018 when they won the series 2-1.
- They will be without the injured Rohit Sharma and Ishant Sharma for this opening Test but otherwise they revert to their tried and trusted line-up although Wriddhiman Saha is tipped to keep wicket ahead of Rishabh Pant and it will be Prithvi Shaw who gets the nod yet again in place of the injured Rohit.
- None of their batsmen played particularly well in the series against New Zealand ten months ago as they struggled to go on to build big scores after getting themselves in so that will be one thing they simply have to fix if they are to compete against the hosts in this opening Test in Adelaide.
THE PREDICTION
Two of the best Test sides in the game meet at the Adelaide Oval to kick off a four-Test series and one which will be hugely entertaining and packed with quality. India won the last time they toured Australia but they will have to improve significantly on their last performance in Oceania when they lost to New Zealand earlier this year. There are weaknesses and question marks in both camps and it is largely at the top of the batting order where those lie. It could very well come down to which bowling attack clicks into gear quickest and can expose any uncertainty in the opponents. The losses of David Warner and Rohit Sharma offset each other but the edge goes to this Australian bowling attack who have the quality to win this opening Test.
