Nothing’s ever the same when India travels. Cricket Australia have rescheduled their traditional summer schedule to accommodate the BCCI. So instead of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG being the third Test of the tour, this year, it will kickstart India’s mega tour Down Under.
India’s campaign to wrest back the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will begin in Melbourne on December 26 followed by three more Tests, a Twenty20 match and a 15-match tri-series featuring hosts Australia, India and Sri Lanka.
The unusual schedule, announced by Cricket Australia on Thursday, has been caused partly by the inaugural Twenty20 world championship in South Africa in September, which means Pakistan's tour of India has been put back to November.
Cricket Australia General Manager Cricket Operations, Michael Brown, said these things happened. “Global cricket commitments in a world where so many cricket nations play at the same time of year create challenges for cricket scheduling," he said. "Despite these challenges, we’re pleased we’ve been able to offer fans extensive opportunities to see the world’s top cricketers throughout next summer," he said.