New Delhi: Even as Cricket Australia (CA) is yet to officially announce the dates for India’s tour of Australia that begins next month, controversy has flared up. It is not just the broadcasters Seven West Media, the owner of Channel 7, who are crying foul over the tentative schedule that the Australian board has prepared.
Former Australia cricketer Allan Border too has criticised Cricket Australia for bending over backwards and accommodating the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) demand to reschedule the series, the Sydney Test in particular.
The Sydney Test, usually known as the New Year’s Test, begins in the first week of January or January 3 or 4 to be precise but has been pushed back to January 7 in the new schedule.
The gap between the Boxing Day Test (December 26-30) and the New Year’s Test (January 3-7) is generally three days. However, India want an extended break of over a week.
The series-ending fourth and last Test will be played between January 15-19 at Brisbane. With the Brisbane Test scheduled to end on January 19, the series will also be clashing with the Australian Open which begins on January 14.
The Test series assumes significance for Border also because it is known as the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
