India vs Australia 2020: Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari And Other Support Staff To Join Rest of Squad in Dubai

Team India Test specialist batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara and Hanuma Vihari are leaving for the UAE with Indian team support staff. They will join the rest of the team members for the tour of Australia.

According to a report of ESPNCricinfo, Chief coach Ravi Shastri is expected to join the team on Monday. Among those leaving for Dubai with Pujara and Hanuma are batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar.

After reaching UAE, they will follow all procedures including the six-day confinement which is included in the protocol for protection from Covid-19. This includes Covid-19 tests that occur at regular intervals. However, this new group will not be part of the IPL bio bubble and will remain separate.

The Indian team will travel to Australia for all three formats with a jumbo squad of 30 players. The series will be played in the safety cycle (bio bubble) in the Covid-19 round.

Team India will play three T20s, three ODIs and four Test matches in the Australian tour. The first two ODIs will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 27 and 29 November. After this, the last ODI will be held at Manuka Oval in Canberra. The first T20 will also be played in Canberra followed by the last two T20s in Sydney.

The squads for the tour are yet to be announced by the Indian selectors.

“It is understood that the selectors did not want to finalise the squads without a final approval from the BCCI to the CA schedule,” the report stated.

“The selectors, though, are understood to have already had informal discussions and are expected to meet early next week to finalise the three squads,” it added.

Sydney and Canberra are set to host the white-ball leg on the Australian tour of the Indian team as the Government of New South Wales has allowed the visiting team to train during compulsory confinement after arrival.

According to the plans, the IPL bound players of India and Australia will fly to Sydney soon after the completion of ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), which is set to end on November 10.

Cricket Australia (CA) is expected to announce the full schedule after approval from the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI).