Australia vs India cricket: Sydney Test still on as CA delays decision

Cricket Australia has drawn a line through Sydney’s brazen bid to poach the Gabba Test amid doubts over the SCG.

A decision on the SCG Test will be made during the Boxing Day match. Picture: AAP

Cricket Australia has given Sydney more time to save its Indian Test but has drawn a line through the city’s brazen bid to snatch the Gabba Test as well.

Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley announced today CA had “reaffirmed its commitment’’ to giving Sydney the best chance to host the third Test and Brisbane the fourth Test as per the original schedule.

“CA has strong biosecurity protocols in place and is working constructively with the Queensland government to secure the requisite exemptions to enable players, match officials, broadcasters media and staff to move from Sydney to Brisbane should border restrictions remain in place at that time,’’ a CA statement said.

Significantly, the statement also said that should the COVID-19 crisis in NSW render playing in Sydney untenable, CA’s preferred contingency plan was to play back-to-back Tests in Melbourne.

That effectively ends a bid by Sydney to short-circuit border closures by hosting the final two Tests at the SCG.

Hockley said a final decision on the fate of the Sydney Test would be made during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

“We have always maintained that scheduling a full summer of cricket during a global pandemic would require agility, problem-solving and teamwork like never before,’’ Hockley said.

“The record testing numbers and the drop in new community transmissions in NSW have provided cause for optimism, however if the situation in Sydney deteriorates, we have strong contingency plans in place.

“We have been working constructively with the Queensland government and have been encouraged by the positive nature of the discussions.’’