Josh Hazlewood reckons opening Test between India & Australia may use red-ball, not pink

Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood has suggested that the first game of the four-match Test series against India can be played with the red-ball in either Brisbane or Melbourne if the Covid situation does not improve in Adelaide. South Australia is entering a hard lockdown for six days as Adelaide continues to grapple with a coronavirus outbreak and it has cast doubt on whether the series will start in the city as planned.

As of now, the opening Test match is expected to be a Day-Night affair which will be played at the Adelaide Oval on December 17.

'Could be a red ball': Josh Hazlewood

"He (curator Damian Hough) has got the wicket perfect at Adelaide for a pink-ball Test. A few grounds around Australia are too abrasive or too hard, such as the Gabba or Perth. Those wickets are too hard for a pink ball, it goes quite soft after a certain amount of time," cricket.com.au quoted Hazlewood as saying.

"Could be a red ball (first Test in) Melbourne or Brisbane or somewhere, then we head back to Adelaide later on in the summer. From all reports, we're still good for Adelaide but it can always change, hopefully, they can get on top of it in the next week or two," he added.

India Tour of Australia 2020/21 (Test Series)

The final leg of India vs Australia 2020 series will see the two sides play four Tests in the Test Series. Adelaide is scheduled to play host to an iconic day-night Test between the two countries, with the series opener scheduled to begin from December 17.

The Boxing Day Test will take place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26, before the players go back to Sydney to play the annual New Year's Test. That match is scheduled for January 7 to give players some additional rest between matches. The final match of India vs Australia 2020 series will begin on January 15 at the Gabba in Brisbane.

READ: Team India's D/N Test Preparations For Upcoming Aus Series To Get Underway On Friday

India look to rewrite history as Australia seek vengeance

As India and Australia lock horns in pure whites come December, it will not just be about Australia's vengeance or India's desire to write history, and nor will it be about winning the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Because this time, there's something much bigger on the line - The World Test Championship. India currently sit atop the World Test Championship with 360 points whereas Australia are just below the Men in Blue with 296 points. The teams also face the challenge of COVID-19 and the taxing bio-bubble which is expected to take a toll on the players.

India had beaten Australia when they had toured Down Under during the 2018-19 season by a  2-1 margin in the four-match series to win their maiden Test series on Australian soil. It remains to be seen whether the Virat Kohli-led side will succeed in retaining the iconic Border-Gavaskar Trophy by getting the better of a full-strength Australian side that features the likes of Steve Smith, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, etc. 

However, Team India will have to rewrite history as Australia have never lost a pink-ball Test match. In fact, they have won all five of the D/N Tests that they have played so far from November 2015 and all those wins have come in their own backyard.

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(With ANI Inputs)