India tour of Australia: Cricket Australia confident of hosting first Test in Adelaide with fans

Despite recent COVID-19 lockdown in southern Australia, Adelaide is all set to host the first Test match of the Australia-India series, said Cricket Australia interim CEO Nick Hockley from Sydney Cricket Ground in a press conference hosted by Sony Network.

"You are aware that there was a small, contained cluster of Covid cases last week. We have been working very closely with the South Australian government and at this stage we have been given assurances that it has been contained," Hockley said.

"The lockdown that they were under finished last Saturday. So at this stage all assistance go for the Adelaide Test. We are confident that it will go ahead as scheduled," he added.

The CA senior official further confirmed that the Day/Night affair, first between the two nations, will be played in presence of spectators at the Adelaide Oval.

"We have been lucky that the cases have been very low in Australia. The community transmission has been limited. We worked very hard with the health authorities and with each host city in Australia and worked together the best possible conditions that includes over the last number of days of quarantine, full training, centre-wicket practice, outdoor gym for both India and the Australian players returning from IPL," said the Cricket Australia chief executive. "We are also expecting both Indian and Australian fans to come in numbers and make the match a success."

Before the Test series, Australia and India are scheduled to play three ODIs and three T20Is beginning Friday.

The entire series wil be aired live on Sony sports channels from November 27, 8am onwards.