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The absence of Test stars from domestic red-ball cricket will end as four rounds of the Sheffield Shield competition ahead of the home Test series against Australia starting from November 22 will give a chance to some of the top stars to showcase their red-ball skills at state level once again.
As per cricket.com.au, Cricket Australia announced that four rounds of the prestigious competition will be played before the big Indian assignment, including two rounds that will take place in a special window without any international commitments, allowing players to prepare and give their all to end a run of four successive Test series defeats to India, including two at home. Unlike the three previous years during which the white-ball World Cups run into November, there is absolutely nothing taking place at international cricket level for the entire month of October. The limited overs tour to UK will end on September 29 for Australia following which Australia's next international assignment will be a white-ball series against Pakistan from November 4-18. The feared Aussie pace trio of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, star batter Steve Smith have not played even a single match during last three Sheffield Shield editions, while other top players have also experienced shortage of time while representing states due to increasing global and franchise cricket commitments. But with this new calendar, most, if not all current all-format stars could feature in multiple domestic red-ball games in the tournament starting from October 8. Top Australian stars playing domestic red-ball also create some exciting matchups, be it Travis Head and Alex Carey, they could get to face Starc-Hazlewood and Lyon while playing for South Australia against New South Wales. Smith could get to bat at the top of the order for NSW and regain his rhythm in his new role as a Test opener. Three-time defending champions Western Australia could get services of all-rounders Cameron Green and Mitchell Marsh and they could play against Queensland Bulls led by Marnus Labuschagne. Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja could get some solid match practice on a bouncy Perth pitch against pacers Jhye Richardson and Lance Morris as they prepare to tackle the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami. Though the big names will slowly move to international colours when Pakistan arrives for the white-ball tour, some of them could still continue playing in the Shield for the Indian challenge, with a prime candidate being Green, who is batting at number four in Tests but is only a fringe member of white-ball sides. The competition could lose some of its leading performers when India A takes on Australia A leading up to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in two first-class games on October 31 and November 7. The much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy will begin with the First Test, a day match that sets the tone for the series, at Perth Stadium from November 22 to November 26. The Second Test, which will take place at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10, will have an exciting day-night format under the stadium's lights. After that, fans will focus on The Gabba in Brisbane, where the Third Test will be held during the day on December 14-18. The customary Boxing Day Test, which is set for December 26-30 at Melbourne's storied Melbourne Cricket Ground, brings the series to a climax. The Fifth Test, which will take place at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney from January 3 to 7, will serve as the series' climax and promises to be a dramatic conclusion to an exciting match. (ANI)
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