Australia’s fourth Test against New Zealand is scheduled to finish on Jan 8, while the first Test of Border-Gavaskar Trophy is slated to begin on Jan 21.
“It gets over about 10 days before the first (Test) here…So we’re playing Test cricket, as soon as the game finishes, we get on a plane and come here and have practice, and then straight into the first Test,” Dodemaide told TOI on the sidelines of an event.
However, he added that players who are not part of the playing XI for the final Test against New Zealand will arrive in India early to get accustomed to the conditions. “We need to win the Test match against New Zealand. But the players in the touring squad who aren’t playing in that Test will come early to get more acclimatised,” he said.
The five match Test series will begin in Nagpur before moving to Chennai, Guwahati, Ranchi and Ahmedabad.
The Aussie pace department may still be relying on the experience of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, but Dodemaide said the next generation of pacemen is not too far behind. “Scott Boland, Michael Nesser and Brendan Doggett have been really good for us, while we have some very exciting talent coming through. Jhye Richardson, Lance Morris and Xavier Bartlett have also played some one-day cricket for us.”
Among the younger crop, Dodemaide pointed to Sheffield Shield performers Nathan McAndrew, Lance Morris and Fergus O’Neill, “The challenge for our bowlers back home this summer is to set themselves apart to be the next players to come through,” he said.
Dodemaide also highlighted the importance of Australia’s current development camp in India, particularly for their young spinners. The squad has been brought to India specifically to experience conditions that are difficult to replicate back home.
“In Australia, we can’t replicate the very dry, red soil and spin conditions. We don’t have the same soil types and find it very difficult to get pitches that are dry at home. But it’s not just the playing conditions. It’s the Indian experience, the heat, the crowds, the crowded places. If these players come back to play for Australia, they’ll have all of that to deal with. This gives them familiarity and allows us to see how they respond to that challenge,” he added.
Players like Joel Davies, Jason Sangha, Lloyd Pope and Hugh Weibgen are part of the squad. Dodemaide said the presence of several young players reflects Australia’s belief in their potential. “The younger the players are, the more uncertain it is. But through the Under-19s, they show talent, just as Joel has gone on to play for Australia,” he said.
Dodemaide also backed Australian players to continue using the IPL as an important development platform, despite the difficulty of balancing franchise cricket with international commitments. “The IPL is the best T20 competition in the world,” he said. “We love our players going to IPL because that is where they come up against the best players in the world…But it is very hard now, as we all know, to juggle franchise cricket and cricket for Australia,” he added.
