Australia A out to turn up heat on India's Test stars

Travis Head is keen to put India's red-ball stars under the pump before a ball is bowled in the Border-Gavaskar Test series as he prepares to captain an Australia A side featuring Tim Paine.

Australia's Vodafone Test Series squad members Head, Paine, Joe Burns, Will Pucovski, Cameron Green, James Pattinson and Michael Neser headline the XI that will face India A in a three-day, first-class clash that begins on Sunday.

The match will be live streamed on cricket.com.au and the CA Live app in most territories globally. It will also be shown on Foxtel and Kayo in Australia and on the Sony Pictures Sports Network in India.

Virat Kohli and others in India's T20 side will be absent from the tune-up at Sydney's Drummoyne Oval, but are expected to play in the second match under lights at the SCG from December 11.

Sunday's match will see Cheteshwar Pujara, player of the series during India's productive previous tour of Australia, veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane among the big names set to be in action in Drummoyne.

Tour games are often low-key affairs lacking intensity but that is unlikely to be the case in coming days, especially given it forms a key part of Australia's preparation for the first Test.

"The one-day team had an exceptionally good start against India, put some wins on the board and put them under pressure," Head told reporters.

"It's a great opportunity with the red ball, we can start that campaign in the same manner.

"We want to start putting the Indian guys under pressure."

National selectors opted for a sole Test vice-captain this summer, entrusting Pat Cummins and demoting Head in the process.

But Head's appointment as Australia A skipper suggests the 26-year-old's leadership is still highly regarded by Trevor Hohns' panel.

"There was no real reflection on anything I'd done wrong, I had really good feedback (from Hohns) on the way I'm developing in that space," he said.

"I was very privileged to get that opportunity in the first place, having not played a great deal of Test cricket.

"To be vice-captain of an Ashes series was a massive opportunity and something I learned a lot from.

"Very fortunate I have Painey on my side (for this game). I have chatted to him the last few days, there's a lot of leadership around this Australia A team."

Head argued he is a much-improved batsman compared to his first Test summer, when India's bowlers created all sorts of headaches for Australia's top six.

"You take confidence from everything you've done," he said, having scored two impressive centuries in the Marsh Sheffield Shield hub.

"They have an unbelievable bowling attack. I'm looking forward to that test again."

Fixtures

December 6-8: Australia A v India A, Drummoyne Oval, 10.30am AEDT (5am IST)

December 11-13: Australia A v Indians, SCG (day-night), 2.30pm AEDT (9am IST)

Both games will carry official first-class status

How can I watch?

Attendance at the games isn’t possible due to COVID19 limitations, but some good news red-ball cricket lovers – you've got bulk options to check out the action. Cricket.com.au and the CA Live app will be carrying a free live stream of every ball of the action from both Australia A matches, available in most territories worldwide, including right here in Australia.

Foxtel and Kayo will also be broadcasting the match in Australia while viewers in India can watch on Sony Pictures Sports Network. A full list of global broadcast details is at the bottom of this story.

Cricket.com.au and the CA Live app will also have extended highlights, live scores, replays of every wicket and all the latest news from each day.

Who will be commentating?

For the first match, between Australia A and India A on December 6-8, your commentary will come from Fox Cricket’s Mel Jones, Brad Haddin, Kerry O’Keeffe, Brendon Julian and Adam Peacock.

For the second match, the day-night clash at the SCG between the full-strength India Test side and Australia A, commentary will come from Brendon Julian, Allan Border, Kerry O’Keeffe and Adam Peacock.

Squads

Australia A (first game): Joe Burns, Will Pucovski, Marcus Harris, Travis Head (c), Cameron Green, Nic Maddinson, Tim Paine (wk), Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Jackson Bird, Mark Steketee, Harry Conway, Will Sutherland

India Test squad: Virat Kohli (c) (first Test only), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj

India Test squad not involved in the T20s: Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj

International broadcasters

ATN (Canada)

BT Sport (United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands, Isle of Man)

Fox Sports Asia (Brunei, Cambodia, China,  Guam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, New Caledonia, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Vietnam)

SportsMax (Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, The Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curacao, Dominican Replublic, Dominica, Estatius, Grench Guiana, Grenada, Guadaloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Monserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Saba, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Eustatius, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, St Kitts, St Lucia, St Martin, St Nevis, St Vincent, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos)

SkyNZ (New Zealand)

Sony Pictures Sports Network (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka)

SuperSport (South Africa)

WillowTV (USA, American Samoa, Northern Marianas, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands).

Vodafone Test Series v India 2020-21

Australia Test squad: Tim Paine (c), Sean Abbott, Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner

India Test squad: Virat Kohli (c) (first Test only), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj

First Test: December 17-21, Adelaide Oval, 3pm AEDT (day-night)

Second Test: December 26-30, MCG, 10.30am AEDT

Third Test: January 7-11, SCG, 10.30am AEDT

Fourth Test: January 15-19, Gabba, 11am AEDT