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No Warm-Up Games Ahead of India Tour in 2027: McDonald
The head coach of Australia's cricket team, Andrew McDonald, says his team will not play practice matches before the big Test series in India next year.
The team will instead train at a special camp in a place that feels similar to India.
This helps players get used to pitches that spin a lot.
The series has five matches and begins on January 21 in the city of Nagpur.
It ends on March 3 in Ahmedabad.
Australia has not won a Test series in India for more than 20 years.
They tried a similar camp in 2023 near Bengaluru before that India tour.
Some players who might be chosen for India include Matthew Kuhnemann, Todd Murphy, Peter Handscomb and Matthew Renshaw.
Australia may still play practice games before tours of South Africa and England.
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald confirmed the team will not play a warm-up match ahead of the 2027 Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour of India.
The five-Test series starts January 21 in Nagpur and ends March 3 in Ahmedabad, marking Australia's longest tour of India in 50 years.
Instead of practice games, Australia will hold a dedicated pre-series camp in subcontinent-like conditions, with the UAE and Bengaluru among the options.
Matthew Kuhnemann, Todd Murphy, Cooper Connolly, Peter Handscomb and Matthew Renshaw are in contention as Australia seek a first Test series win in India since 2004.
Australia plan warm-up fixtures before their South Africa tour and the 2027 Ashes in England if they do not qualify for the World Test Championship final.
- Who
- Australia head coach Andrew McDonald announced the decision; Matthew Kuhnemann, Todd Murphy, Cooper Connolly, Peter Handscomb and Matthew Renshaw are among players in contention for the tour.
- What
- Australia will skip warm-up matches before the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in India and instead hold a dedicated training camp to prepare for turning pitches.
- Where
- Tests will be played in Nagpur, Chennai, Guwahati, Ranchi and Ahmedabad; the camp location is unconfirmed but the UAE and Bengaluru are options.
- When
- The series runs from January 21 to March 3; McDonald spoke to cricket.com.au on a Wednesday ahead of the 2027 tour.
- Why
- Australia wants to immerse itself in subcontinent conditions despite a tight schedule, aiming for a first Test series win in India since 2004.
Training camp approach
Warm-up match approach
How Australia should prepare for India's pitches
Training camp approach
A short camp at a dedicated venue replicating Indian conditions gives players enough time to immerse themselves and lets coaches manage individuals; tour games often do not fit a compressed schedule.
Warm-up match approach
Skipping warm-up games has drawn scrutiny — before the 2023 series Australia trained in Bengaluru yet India won the Nagpur opener by an innings and 132 runs, and McDonald acknowledged match practice against quality opposition can be valuable.
Key facts
- Head Coach
- Andrew McDonald
- Series
- Border-Gavaskar Trophy, five Tests
- Series Dates
- January 21 to March 3
- Venues
- Nagpur, Chennai, Guwahati, Ranchi, Ahmedabad
- Preparation Plan
- Dedicated training camp; no warm-up match
- Camp Options
- UAE or Bengaluru, India (unconfirmed)
- Last Series Win in India
- 2004-05
- Injury Updates
- Michael Neser ruled out with calf strain; Josh Inglis expected available after back spasm
Quotes
Andrew McDonald
Head coach of the Australian cricket team
“We feel as though we've got enough time to immerse ourselves in those conditions. We won't be taking on a practice game. It'll just be more around the location. We've got a couple of options there. We have gone to the UAE previously and we have also gone into India last time into Bangalore, so we're just working through what that would look like in terms of how we then manage the individuals. A lot of that would happen on the back of the four Tests against New Zealand, seeing where players are.”
thehansindia.com
rediff.com
telegraphindia.com
“Ultimately, if you can have a dedicated venue that you're able to use and replicate as close to the conditions that you believe you may get in the first Test match or throughout a Test series, that's ideally what you want.”
rediff.com
Sources
No warm-up games ahead of India tour in 2027: McDonald
Australia Not Planning Tour Match Before India Test Series, Says Coach McDonald
No warm-up games ahead of India tour in 2027: McDonald
No Practice Games! Australia's Bold Plan For India Tests Next Year
No practice games for Australia before next year's India Tests, says head coach McDonald
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