Adelaide to host Australia-India
Test opener from December 12
SYDNEY: The first cricket test between Australia and India will now take place in Adelaide after a major reshuffling of the series following the death last week of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes.
The first test was supposed to start in Brisbane on Thursday but has been delayed by a week and switched to Adelaide to give grief-stricken players more time to recover with Hughes’ funeral taking place on Wednesday.
The Australian and Indian cricket boards considered a range of options in conjunction with the players’ union, including cancelling the Brisbane test altogether, before opting for a reshuffle.
Three of the four matches in the Border-Gavaskar series have been changed, according to a revised fixture list published on Cricket Australia’s official website on Sunday.
Adelaide, which was due to host the second test from Dec. 12-16, will now host the series opener from December 9-13, in what is sure to be a highly emotional occasion.
Brisbane will now host the second test from December 17-21 while the third test will proceed as planned from December 26-30 in Melbourne.
The fourth and final test will take place in Sydney in the New Year, but will start on Jan 6, three days later than originally scheduled.
Changes to the dates of the matches were expected after CA postponed the start of the first test and the Indian team, currently in Adelaide, cancelled their flight to Brisbane on Monday.
Hughes died in a Sydney hospital last Thursday, two days after he was struck in the head by a short-pitched delivery during a domestic first-class match.
His death has triggered an outpouring of emotion, sympathy and support from inside and outside the cricketing world.
The funeral for the left-hander, who would have turned 26 on Sunday, will be held in his hometown of Macksville in northern New South Wales.
Hughes was a popular member of the Australian cricket community and several members of the Australian team were playing in the match when he was struck by the ball. (PTI)