Cricket Australia wants Perth as the new Test fortress for India series as women’s team to play Test at MCG

Scott Bailey

AAP

4 Min Read

26 Mar 2024

Virat Kohli will start his battle with Australia in Perth this summer. Credit: David Mairuz/AP

Cricket Australia insists Optus Stadium can replace the Gabba as the men’s Test team’s new fortress after handing Perth the first match against India.

Officials announced their schedule for this summer on Tuesday, with the WA capital to kick off the five-Test India series on November 22.

Perth is then expected to hold that status as the season opener in the majority of coming summers, a position long held by the Gabba.

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Australia are undefeated in 31 summer-opening Tests at the Gabba since 1989, their only two defeats at the ground coming when it has closed out the summer.

And in a major boost for the women’s team they will play a four-day Test at the MCG for the first time since 1949.

CA operations boss Peter Roach said the hard and fast Optus Stadium pitch, where Australia has won all four Tests played there, was now more than comparable to the one traditionally used at the Gabba.

“The clear advice from our national team is there is a preference to start series strongly at venues where they’re really comfortable,” Roach said.

“Perth and Brisbane they believe are somewhat comparable in terms of the advantage they get, in that they’re the hardest and bounciest pitches in Australia.

“They also believe that playing a day-night (Test) in Adelaide is a significant advantage, and the stats there are pretty conclusive too.

“With Perth and the Gabba, I think the gap has really closed in recent times in the way our players think about that.”

Australia's Pat Cummins (C) and Alex Carey (R) celebrate their victory on day four of the second Test cricket match between New Zealand and Australia at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on March 11, 2024. (Photo by Sanka Vidanagama / AFP) — Australia's Pat Cummins and Alex Carey celebrate their victory on day four of the second Test cricket match between New Zealand and Australia earlier this month. Credit: SANKA VIDANAGAMA/AFP

Adelaide will host the second Border-Gavaskar Test from December 6, with the venue winning back the day-night Test after Australia were beaten with the pink ball at the Gabba last season.

Brisbane then follows on December 14, before the traditional MCG and SCG Tests for Boxing Day and New Year’s.

Test players are expected to get a month of Sheffield Shield cricket in October, before three ODIs and T20s against Pakistan, starting with a day-night game at the MCG on November 4.

CA had offered an invitation to make the white-ball matches part of a triangular-series with India, but that was knocked back.

“It’s fair to say that every country in the world would love to see India and Pakistan compete in their country,” Roach said.

“We’re one of those countries that have asked the question, but there’s no room in the schedules to do that at the moment.

“We’ll keep talking to them for any other opportunities that arise, but in this specific example there is not going to be any change to this schedule.”

The total of six white-ball games means Canberra has missed out on a men’s international.

Manuka Oval will instead host one of the T20s in the women’s Ashes series, with CA making the call to play the Test in the series at the MCG from January 30.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 03: Ellyse Perry of Australia during game one of the women's One Day International series between Australia and South Africa at Adelaide Oval on February 03, 2024 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images) — Ellyse Perry wants the women’s team to play five-day Tests like the men. Credit: Sarah Reed/Getty Images

The move to bigger grounds has also come into effect for white-ball games, with the women’s T20s against England to be played at the SCG and Adelaide Oval.

The women’s team will also open the summer, with three T20s against New Zealand in Queensland in September before the World Cup in Bangladesh.

Last year’s Ashes Test was the first played over five days in 21 years, with a day-five Australian victory ending a run of 11 draws in 18 Tests between the nations.

Players from both sides have been vocal in their push for five-day matches, particularly given any rain often renders a result unlikely.

But the view of Australian officials is that a four-day match should lead to more attacking and positive cricket.

“We probably need to do some more quantifiable work on what is most effective for the women’s game,” Ellyse Perry said.

“I have one sample size of one five-day Test, and we managed to get a result in that.

“My bias is geared towards that, having played a number of four-day games where we haven’t got results.”

Alyssa Healy’s team will open their summer with three T20s against New Zealand in Queensland in September, before the World Cup in Bangladesh.

THE SUMMER AHEAD

MEN

ODI vs Pakistan

Nov 4: MCG, Melbourne (D/N)

Nov 8: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (D/N)

Nov 10: Optus Stadium, Perth (D/N)