The Cricketer looks at the major themes ahead of the eagerly anticipated four Tests between two of the biggest nations around...
India will be without their talisman and captain Virat Kohli for the final three Tests of the series as he attends the birth of his first child.
The 32-year-old will return home after the first Test to be with pregnant wife Anushka Sharma, who is due in January 2021.
Though the series runs until the middle of next month, the 14-day quarantine Kohli would be forced to undergo upon re-entry into Australia makes a return impractical. In any regular series, he would just slot back in. But not on this occasion.
While all-format international captains provide clarity and consistency, they are increasingly becoming unsustainable in the current climate. It is remarkable that four of them currently exist in the form of Kane Williamson, Babar Azam and Andrew Balbirnie.
With Rohit Sharma an obvious candidate for the white-ball team, are we approaching a period where Kohli may be forced to share the responsibility going forward? With so many major competitions across the formats on the horizon, the schedule will dictate which ones take priority. Kohli surely can't be expected to run on empty for much longer.
The tourists will therefore have to do without their skipper for the majority of the Tests, as India bid to win back-to-back series in Australia for the first time. Kane Williamson and the newly-appointed Babar Azam are the only others on the circuit.
Ajinkya Rahane will fill the void in the absence of Kohli and is more than just a safe pair of hands. The 32-year-old has led India on seven occasions across all formats, losing just once. He has won both of his Tests at the helm, including against Australia in 2017 by eight wickets in Dharamshala.
There is no doubt that Kohli's absence will be hardest felt in India's batting line-up. Already without Sharma, Kohli averages 55.39 in Australia. As well as being another significant absentee, it is a major blow to India's chances of claiming a third Test series win over Australia in a row.
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While Australia will have a fully-fit bowling line-up their batting order is in pieces ahead of the series.
David Warner is the only guaranteed starter in the top two but he will be unavailable with a groin injury suffered during the ODI series.
Cricket Australia have refrained from issuing a prognosis, however, reports have suggested it might take as long as six weeks for Warner to return to full fitness. If so, he would not be available until the fourth Test at The Gabba.
Of particular concern will be how Warner relies on his athleticism to build an innings. That could yet put back his full recovery.
Nevertheless, his absence is a major blow. Warner averaged 131 across the Test summer in 2019-20 and 18 of his 23 Test hundreds have come on home soil.
Will Pucovski looked set to replace Warner for the first Test for at least the first Test having enjoyed a stunning start to the Sheffield Shield season with Victoria. His successive double centuries including a record opening wicket stand of 486 with Marcus Harris.
But those ambitions were thwarted after Pucovski was struck while playing for Australia A against India at Drummoyne Oval. The 22-year-old has previously suffered nine concussions during his career but could yet be involved later in the series.
That leaves Joe Burns and Harris as the leading candidates to open at the Adelaide Oval. The former remains in possession following last summer when he registered two fifties and three single-figure scores in eight innings. A solid start to the first-class season and been followed by a run of 4,0,0 and 1 against the tourists, leading to an ominous-looking phonecall from chief selector Trevor Hohns.
Above a star-studded line-up of Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith - who has pre-series injury concerns of his own - Travis Head and possible opener Matthew Wade there is little doubt Australia have a soft top. India will be viewing it as an opportunity to gain a foothold.
Australia will be without David Warner for the first Test - and possibly beyond
The World Test Championship appears to be a hill the ICC are willing to die on, regardless of what any other evidence might suggest. Their attention might be better placed elsewhere but a tournament which was 10 years in the making before finally kicking off remains the No.1 priority.
A revision of the points system due to the cancelled series causes by the Covid-19 pandemic has left both nations exposed, and though Australia replaced India at the top of the table, their destinies do remain in their own hands.
New Zealand are the biggest threat, with two home Tests against Pakistan to come. The Kiwis can go to 70 per cent if they complete a 2-0 series whitewash and put significant pressure on the top two.
India will likely need to win five of their next eight Tests to hold off Kane Williamson's men. Anything less and they risk missing out on the Lord's showcase.
Australia have a much greater margin for error and must be considered favourites given they have a home series and then a potential trip to South Africa on the horizon. A series whitewash over India - their last was as recent as 2011-12 - would ensure they'd go to South Africa a win away from reaching the home of cricket.
In other words, Australia and India are very likely challenging for one berth in the final.
England remain in the hunt but ahead of heading to Asia in January, February and March they have an uphill task. Even back-to-back series wins might not be enough to overhaul New Zealand. A repeat of the 50-over World Cup final is unlikely.
Australia and India rarely need additional reasons to want to get one over the other. The WTC ensures this series will extend until the very end of the fourth Test and in the race for the final, it is a case of kill or be killed.
The series kicks off at the Adelaide Oval
David Warner, Rohit Sharma, Ishant Sharma and Virat Kohli. This series may have lost a handful of major stars, but in their place is the new breed. This might be four Tests between the two biggest nations around, but there remains space for a glimpse into the future.
The freshest face is that of Cameron Green, the Australia allrounder, who appears on course to make his debut this summer. The 21-year-old looked certain to start in Adelaide before being struck during the tour match at the SCG, though a maiden Test outing is surely just around the corner.
The aforementioned Pucovski is also on the brink of a maiden Australia Test outing. Only a recent head knock of his own means he may have to wait, but it seems likely that the summer will end with Warner and Pucovski running out in Brisbane. Put your money on them opening up at the same venue at the start of the Ashes.
The absence of Sharma means India have their own selection dilemma at the top of the order. Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw are the incumbents and will start the first Test, but neither have impressed during the tour matches. Shubman Gill has long been heralded as the future across all formats and is next in line. The second Indians game in Sydney saw him scored 43 and 65 and he arrives off the back of a decent Indian Premier League campaign.
There are three other uncapped players among the groups. Mitchell Swepson is knocking on the door and made his latest international outing during the T20 series. But he surely requires Nathan Lyon to pick up an injury to force his way in. Marnus Labuschagne (and Steve Smith) will likely negate the need for a second spinner.
Mohammad Siraj and Navdeep Saini complete the list of untested players in the tourists' squad. With Ishant not on tour, the make-up of the Indian bowling line-up is far from certain, though Umesh Yadav is likely to be turned to alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. Either Siraj and Saini could be called on before the end of the series, but in the immediate future, they're on the bench.
The series kicks off with the 15th pink ball test in Adelaide. Though not every continent can necessarily accommodate the day-night Tests, they have plenty to offer a format which requires subtle innovations to keep moving. This is a relatively easy one to implement.
It provides the first Test with added intrigue. Winning the toss and batting out day one isn't the automatic choice it once was. There is plenty to be gained by bowling in the third session on day one. Mitchell Starc and Jasprit Bumrah will be begging for an opportunity under lights.
Australia-India Tests don't need hyping in an effort to draw extra eyes to the matches. TV viewing figures have often enjoyed an uptick. But we need to reach a stage where day-night Tests, like one-day internationals, become normalised and part of the schedule where possible.
Part of that process will, of course, be about convincing India this is an idea worth investing time and effort in. Being able to engage viewers in the region has always been key to the scheduling of any major match but without showcasing the format to fans that will always be an uphill battle.
Two in the space of three months suggests the BCCI are open to being convinced. Ahmedabad will host just the second on Indian soil against England in February 2021. It is likely we're entering a defining period for the format.
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