Adelaide set to host opening Test on India’s tour of Australia

A much-awaited Australian summer will see the country hosting India this time around and the tournament naturally headlines the Australian 2018-19 international schedule. Having played and won four pink ball Test matches in the last three summers, Australia is keen to play a pink ball Test match with India and despite reports emerging about India's lack of interest in playing Pink ball Test matches, Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland is still hopeful of convincing the Indian board.

"It is our preference that we play India in a Day-Night Test match in Adelaide, but we are still working through this detail and hope to have an answer on this in the coming weeks," James Sutherland, Cricket Australia chief executive, said on Monday (April 30).

The Border-Gavaskar series begins in Adelaide on December 6. Given that a pink ball Test match against India is becoming increasingly unlikely, Australia might host a Day-Night Test against Windies in October.   

After Adelaide, the Test series will move on to Perth, and then the two teams will square off with each other in the Boxing Day Test at MCG before ending the Test series with a New Year Test match in Sydney.  

"The Border-Gavaskar Trophy promises to be a bumper series, and it will be headlined by the world famous Boxing Day Test at the MCG," Sutherland said. "There, we will also deliver a large-scale community festival in partnership with the Victorian Government, which will be a terrific celebration of Indian culture."

However, Australian men's international summer will start at Perth Stadium with an ODI between Australia and South Africa on November 4.

India's two-month tour opens with three Twenty20s starting on November 21 at the Gabba followed by matches at the MCG and SCG. After the Test series, India will remain in Australia for three ODIs at the SCG, Adelaide Oval, and the MCG.