On Thursday, Cricket Australia released the final schedule for the 2015-16 cricket of summer in Australia. I have to admit, the itineraries announced took me by surprise.
We all knew that New Zealand and the West Indies were touring Australia for a three-Test series each.
However, what surprised me was the fact that neither of these teams will play Australia in One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 (T20) Internationals.
The Indian cricket team which toured Australia for a series of Tests and ODIs in 2014-15 and World Cup 2015 will be here again in January 2016 for five ODIs and three Twenty20 Internationals against Australia.
According to Cricket Australia: “the highlight of the season will be the match-up between Australia and India, the worlds top-ranked teams in One Day International cricket through the Victoria Bitter Series.
“These teams met in the semi-final of the World Cup [2015] in a match which saw more than 300 million fans watching on Star TV in India, and we want to continue to build a strong rivalry which will be on show throughout the summer.”
True. But then what about New Zealand’s more impressive performance than India’s in the recent World Cup by reaching the final?
I think it is a slap on the face of Kiwi cricket.
The fact is that the millions watching televised cricket on Star TV in India has taken preference over New Zealand’s superior performance in limited overs cricket.
The Indian women’s cricket team will also be in Australia next January and February to play the Aussie girls.
Below is the schedule of Tests and limited overs internationals:
Test series in 2015-16
Australia, currently engaged in Ashes series in Englan, will play three Tests against New Zealand and then three against the West Indies.
Against New Zealand, 2015:
First Test from November 5-9 at Brisbane
Second Test from November 13-17 in Perth
Third Test from November 27 to December 1 in Adelaide
This Adelaide Test is of historical importance as it will be a day-night Test played with a pink ball.
Against West Indies:
First Test from December 10-14, 2015, in Tasmania
Second Test from December 26-30 in Melbourne
Third Test from January 3-7, 2016, in Sydney
Schedule for limited overs internationals against India in January 2016
ODIs:
First ODI at WACA, Perth, January 12
Second ODI at Gabba, Queensland, January 15
Third ODI at MCG, Melbourne, January 17
Fourth ODI at Manuka Oval, Canberra, January 20
Fifth ODI at SCG, Sydney, January 23
T20 Internationals:
First T20 in Adelaide on January 26, which is Australia Day and India’s Republic Day
Second T20 at the MCG, January 29
Third T20 at the SCG, January 31
Women’s schedule in January-February 2016
The T20 Internationals will be played on the same days and at the same venues as the men’s matches but earlier in the day.
The three ODIs by the women’s team will be held in Canberra on February 2, and at Blundstone Arena in Tasmania on February 5 and 7.
The Indian women’s team under Mithali Raj is confident after beating the New Zealand women’s team 3-2 this month in a series of ODIs in Bangalore, India.
The highlight of the summer will be Tests between Australia and New Zealand. The Kiwis performed very well in Tests in England recently. I look forward to watching the pink ball Adelaide Test.
It will be a case of day in, night out!
Marcus Stoinis produced his first IPL century and it was a beauty. He went 6, 4, 4, 4 to finish off the Lucknow Super…
The Aussie needed every centimetre of his height and reach to reel that one in!
Royal Challengers Bengaluru needed 21 off the final over...but after three sixes, a caught and bowled and a run out, Mitchell Starc's Kolkata had…
Jake Fraser-McGurk smashed the fastest 50 of the IPL season and the fastest in Delhi Capitals history. But it still wasn't enough as Sunrisers…
Test great Steve Smith is to play for Washington Freedom in the second season of Major League Cricket as the Australian influence in the…
Nathan Lyon has revealed his disappointment that Australia's cricket chiefs have prevented him from playing his first full season of county cricket in England…
