Michael Clarke
Captain Michael Clarke is fit and will lead his team out against India in the first test Reuters

Australia take on India in the first of the four tests scheduled between the two sides. The game will be held at the Adelaide Oval.

Where to Watch Live

The play is scheduled to start at 12am GMT on 9 December. Live coverage will be available on Sky Sports 2 and Sky Sports 2 HD. Follow the live text commentary of the game on ESPN Cricinfo.

Overview

A lot has transpired over the last week, under regular circumstances, the first test would be at its conclusion and teams moving on to Adelaide for the second game.

However, it was not to be as cricket and the entire sporting world witnessed its most emotional week following the demise of Phil Hughes, during a Sheffield Shield match.

Initially, it was thought that the first test at the Gabba will be dropped and the series will begin at Adelaide, making it a three test series. But all the four tests have been retained with extra time given to players to mourn the passing of their colleague.

Australia would have been without captain Michael Clarke had the first test started on schedule, but he has now recovered and will lead the team, and rightly so, following the touching tribute he delivered at Hughes' funeral, saying that the team must 'play on'.

The Australian team, who named their side a day before the game have named Hughes as the 13<sup>th man in the team sheet. Every Australian cricketer will carry his test cap number of 408 on their shirts, paying tribute to a batsmen, who was poised to make a comeback to the test team.

Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli becomes the 32nd man to captain India in a test Reuters

Meanwhile, the Indian team have been preparing as best as they can amid mourning the loss of a colleague and friend. They have played two practice matches, which have seen the batsmen come through in relatively good form.

In the absence of regular skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has failed to recover from a broken thumb, Virat Kohli will captain the Indians. India will also be without their main bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has been ruled out for the first two tests.

Betting Odds (888sport.com)

Australia to win: 7/10

India to win: 5

Draw: 11/5

Pitch conditions

"Hopefully there is a little bit in it early, it's going to be good to bat on, and then take a little bit of spin and some inconsistency later in the game," Adelaide ground curator Damian Hough said, as quoted on ESPN Cricinfo.

Team News

Australia

Probable Lineup: Chris Rogers, David Warner, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke (capt), Steven Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon.

India

Probable Lineup: M Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (capt), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddiman Saha (wk), R Ashwin, Varun Aaron, Ishant Sharma and Mohammad Shami.

Australia India