IND vs AUS: First Test to go ahead as scheduled, confirms Cricket Australia

There had been doubts over the first Test -- a pink-ball fixture -- as coronavirus outbreak in South Australia led to suggestions that the Dec 17-21 match to be shifted for latter half of the series

The Adelaide Test between Australia and India will go on as per schedule, Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Nick Hockley confirmed on Tuesday.

"You are aware that there was a small, contained cluster of Covid cases last week. We have been working very closely with the South Australian government and at this stage we have been given assurances that it has been contained," Hockley said in response to a question by IANS during an interaction with Indian media.

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"The lockdown that they were under finished last Saturday. So at this stage all assistance go for the Adelaide Test. We are confident that it will go ahead as scheduled," he added.

There had been doubts over the first Test -- a pink-ball fixture -- as coronavirus outbreak in South Australia led to suggestions that the December 17-21 match at the Adelaide Oval, the only Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which Virat Kohli will play before returning to India for the birth of his child, be shifted to the latter half of the series. The India vs Australia 4-match Test series is also a part of ICC World Test Championship, whose final will be played in June next year. 

But Hockley said that the match is on schedule.

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"We have been lucky that the cases have been very low in Australia. The community transmission has been limited. We worked very hard with the health authorities and with each host city in Australia and worked together the best possible conditions that includes over the last number of days of quarantine, full training, centre-wicket practice, outdoor gym for both India and the Australian players returning from IPL," said the Cricket Australia chief executive.

"Obviously, the safety of both participants in the community is our absolute number one priority. But we are working closely with the BCCI to make sure that we are providing absolutely the best possible conditions for both training and playing and also accommodation throughout the course of the tour," he added.

Before the Test series, Australia and India are scheduled to play three ODIs and three T20Is beginning Friday.