Australia A v India A: All you need to know

For those fans who just can't get enough red-ball cricket, the Australia A v India A series provides the perfect entrée for this summer's massive NRMA Insurance Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series between Australia and India. 

The two second-string XIs have two four-day matches before the Indian Test squad gets acclimatised with the conditions in Perth with a three-day hit out against India A at the WACA Ground. 

What's the schedule?

The series begins in Mackay on Thursday, where the two sides will play the first four-dayer at Great Barrier Reef Arena from 10am local time. 

The next stop a couple of days later is the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where several Test hopefuls from both sides will be using this as a dress rehersal for potentially returning here on December 26. 

Tickets for the MCG match can be purchased by clicking here.

Australia A v India A series:

 

First first-class match: October 31-November 3: Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay (10am AEST)

 

Second first-class match: November 7-10: MCG, Melbourne (10.30am AEDT)

 

India v India A intra-squad match:

 

November 15-17: WACA Ground, Perth

How can I watch?

Every ball of the 'A' series will be broadcast live on cricket.com.au or the CA Live app, Fox Cricket, as well as streamed on Kayo Sports.

The Indian intra-squad match will unfortunately be a closed session, no fans will be allowed in to the venue to watch and broadcasters have been kept away as well. 

How else can I follow?

If you can't tune in live, or simply want to relive the action again and again – never fear!

You'll be able to catch up on all the highlights on cricket.com.au and the CA Live app, while our crew on the ground will bring you the latest news and video.

Catch a replay of every wicket in the CA Live app's match centre, while push notifications can alert you to all breaking news.

You can also subscribe and tune into The Unplayable Podcast, which drops every Thursday and will cover the both the A series and the white-ball series against Pakistan. 

What are the squads?

With 17 players to choose from, the Australia A XIs across both matches could look quite different. 

Head selector George Bailey said that both wicketkeepers will get a turn, and that there's likely to be big changes in the bowling attack with the squad including six quicks and two spinners. 

The primary focus will be on the top order though, with Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris and Sam Konstas all in contention to fill the void at the top of the Test order. 

Along with in-form skipper Nathan McSweeney, Bailey hinted that there could be some changing of roles across the two matches to give all players the best opportunity to impress. 

"We've got three players who open the batting for their state and we've got one player who bats at three for their state – (we have) four top-order batters to try and fit into three, so there will be some adjustments there," said Bailey.

"I think we'll set that up for the first game, and then if we deem it necessary or feel like there's something else we want to have a look at for the second game, we may change that."

Australia A: Nathan McSweeney (c), Cameron Bancroft, Scott Boland, Jordan Buckingham, Cooper Connolly, Ollie Davies, Brendan Doggett, Marcus Harris, Sam Konstas, Nathan McAndrew, Michael Neser, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Jimmy Peirson, Josh Philippe, Corey Rocchiccioli, Beau Webster

India A's squad features only two players who made India's 18-strong Test squad that was named on Friday, top-order batter Abhimanyu Easwaran and pace-bowling allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy.

Both are uncapped at Test level but both could find themselves in use during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Easwaran could slot in during Rohit Sharma's planned absence early in the series for personal reasons while Reddy could be used if the visitors need another pace option in their top seven. 

Fast bowlers Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini and Khaleel Ahmed have all be named 'reserves' in the Test squad.

India A: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Abhimanyu Easwaran (vc), Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Devdutt Padikkal, Ricky Bhui, Baba Indrajith, Ishan Kishan (wk), Abishek Porel (wk), Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal, Navdeep Saini, Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian

"Any time there's these Australia A opportunities, whether it's real or not, there's always the perception that there's a little bit more pressure," Bailey said. 

"Obviously, the standard of cricket is pretty high, so that's always a great opportunity seeing how players interact in a different team to what they're used to around their states. All of that's really important.

"We'll have a selector present at both games and we'll be watching closely."

Players to watch

After a dominant run in domestic cricket across the past 18 months, Beau Webster returns to the Australia A set up for the first time since 2016. Webster has shown the ability to bat both conservatively and aggressively during his Sheffield Shield purple patch making him a nightmare for opposition captains. He also provides a unique offering with the ball, with his medium pacers dangerous in the right conditions and his reliable off-spin an option if the match-ups are right. 

Fast bowler Navdeep Saini returns to Australia, the country where he made his Test debut during the 2020-21 series. He earned his first cap in Sydney and played in the memorable Brisbane finale, but didn't bowl much as he battled a groin injury. Now four years on, Saini has only played for India twice since, one ODI and one T20I. A full tilt, Saini is probably the fastest of the India A attack and with a strong performance in Mackay and Melbourne he can guarantee that he's the next man in should any Test quicks succumb to injury. 

Cooper Connolly is a special talent. So special in fact, that the newly-turned 21-year-old made both his ODI and T20I debuts for Australia just last month. Following his maiden tour with the national squad, Connolly returned to the Sheffield Shield where he looked right at home in WA's middle order. Connolly will only be able to play the first four-day match as he joins the ODI squad to face Pakistan straight after, but runs against a quality India A attack here could put him into the Test conversation. 

How are the bowling stocks?

The names in the Australian Test bowling line up, especially in home Tests, has been very consistent over recent years: Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon. 

Those four played all seven Tests last summer (against Pakistan, West Indies and New Zealand), just as they did when India last toured in 2020-21 (they played all four Tests). 

Last week Hazlewood said playing that many Tests consecutively was a "one-off", and that he was confident in those waiting in the wings, should any of the front-line bowlers get injured. 

"No one rests a Test match," he said. "If you're fit, you play, if you're not, you don't play, it's a simple as that.

"There's really no point in planning for it – the day before you make a call and you're either sweet or you're not."

"We've got enough in the (fast bowling) stable to roll through a couple of guys who we know can do a really good job and put pressure on us from time to time."

Top of the pecking order would be Scott Boland and Michael Neser, both of whom have spent countless hours running drinks for the Test regulars over the past couple of summers. 

Whether or not those two will be played in separate Aus A matches, or asked to bowl-off against each other in the same bowling attack will be fascinating to see.

Todd Murphy and Corey Rocchiccioli are vying for the spot as back-up spinner to Nathan Lyon and will get the opportunity to work with Australia assistant coach Daniel Vettori when not playing for Australia A. 

Murphy will play in Mackay in the first four-dayer while Rocchiccioli links up with the ODI squad in Melbourne, before the roles are reversed with Rocchiccioli playing in Melbourne and Murphy following the ODI squad to Adelaide. 

"While they won't formally join the one-day squad, it's a chance for those guys to spend some time with Dan Vettori," Bailey told cricket.com.au.

"It's just a really positive opportunity to get two of our up-and-coming and strongly performing first-class cricketers around a bloody good spin coach.

"Dan's obviously spent a fair bit of time with Murph (Murphy) on previous Australia tours but hasn't with Roc (Rocchiccioli), so it's a chance for those guys to develop a one-on-one relationship with one of the greats."

Australia A v India A series

Australia A squad: Nathan McSweeney (c), Cameron Bancroft, Scott Boland, Jordan Buckingham, Cooper Connolly, Ollie Davies, Brendan Doggett, Marcus Harris, Sam Konstas, Nathan McAndrew, Michael Neser, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Jimmy Peirson, Josh Philippe, Corey Rocchiccioli, Beau Webster

India A squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Abhimanyu Easwaran (vc), Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Devdutt Padikkal, Ricky Bhui, Baba Indrajith, Ishan Kishan (wk), Abishek Porel (wk), Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal, Navdeep Saini, Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian

First first-class match: October 31-November 3: Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay (10am AEST)

Second first-class match: November 7-10: MCG, Melbourne (10.30am AEDT)

India v India A intra-squad match

November 15-17: WACA Ground, Perth