Australia are set for their longest tour of India in more than half a century early next year for the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy. It will be the second time the marquee series features five Tests after the 2024/25 edition, but the first in India. However, coach Andrew McDonald has revealed that Australia will not play a warm-up game before the series, instead opting for a radical preparation plan.
While Australia have confirmed tour matches ahead of their upcoming Test series in South Africa and England, they have instead prioritised an extended pre-series camp to acclimatise to Indian conditions.
The approach mirrors Australia's preparations for their last two subcontinental assignments under McDonald. Ahead of the 2025 Sri Lanka tour, they trained in Dubai before sweeping the two-Test series 2-0. Before the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, they held a camp in Alur on the outskirts of Bengaluru, although India went on to win the series 2-1.
This time, however, the schedule presents a bigger challenge. The opening Test in Nagpur begins on January 21, less than two weeks after Australia's New Year's Test against New Zealand.
{{/usCountry}}This time, however, the schedule presents a bigger challenge. The opening Test in Nagpur begins on January 21, less than two weeks after Australia's New Year's Test against New Zealand.
{{/usCountry}}As a result, players likely to feature in India but not in the New Zealand series—potentially including Matthew Kuhnemann, Todd Murphy, Cooper Connolly, Peter Handscomb and Matthew Renshaw—could begin preparing for India well in advance, even if it means missing part of the Big Bash League.
Another option under consideration is practising on specially prepared turning pitches in Australia, similar to the scarified wickets used at North Sydney Oval before the 2023 India tour.
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Speaking to cricket.com.au, McDonald explained the thinking behind the decision.
"We feel as though we've got enough time to immerse ourselves in those conditions. We won't be taking on a practice game. It'll just be more around the location.
"We've got a couple of options there. We have gone to the UAE previously and we have also gone into India last time into Bangalore, so we're just working through what that would look like in terms of how we then manage the individuals.
"A lot of that would happen on the back of the four Tests against New Zealand, seeing where players are at. We'll potentially have some different players with different skill sets that we believe can perform in India, so it won't necessarily be the squad that finishes the Test series against New Zealand that heads to India.
"There'll be some players that we need to put a little bit more prep into, and that'll start in Australia also, balancing out Big Bash commitments and things like that."
Australia chairman of selectors George Bailey had last month also hinted at a similar strategy, revealing that fringe Test players could be pulled out of the ODI tour of South Africa in September to instead feature in an overlapping Australia A tour of India.
Although Australia have increasingly preferred match simulations and intra-squad practice over traditional tour games in recent years, they will still play warm-up matches before the Test series in South Africa later this year and ahead of next year's Ashes in England, making their India preparations a notable departure from the norm.