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Australia's coach says no tour match ahead of India Test series

Australia's Test side will opt for a training camp rather than tour matches when they play India in a five-match series next year, according to coach Andrew McDonald.

Australia's coach says no tour match ahead of India Test series

Australia's cricket coach Andrew McDonald has announced that the national men's Test team will not field a tour match ahead of their upcoming five-Test series against India, following a similar approach in the 2023 series. After losing the first Test in Nagpur during the 2023 series, Australia opted to train on specially prepared, spin-friendly pitches in Bengaluru instead of playing a traditional warm-up match.

McDonald stated that they are exploring options to immerse themselves in conditions similar to India before the series opener on January 21, 2027, in Nagpur. The team has not won a Test series in India since 2004, when they defeated the hosts 2-1. Australia will face a challenging schedule leading up to the India tour, with a two-Test home series against Bangladesh starting in Darwin, followed by a three-Test tour of South Africa and another four-Test series against New Zealand.

Fast bowler Michael Neser has been ruled out of the Bengaluru series due to a calf strain, while wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis is expected to be available after recovering from a back spasm.

Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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