India vs Australia: Fresh Outbreak Of COVID In Adelaide But Cricket Australia Says First Test On Schedule

With a month to go for the India-Australia first Test in Adelaide, the city has become the new epicentre after a fresh COVID-19 outbreak. (More Cricket News)

The rising number of cases which have crept up from four on Sunday to 17 on Monday, has forced authorities to order domestic players, who were part of the Sheffield Shield, into self-isolation.

Australia’s skipper Tim Paine is among those in self-isolation as other states have closed borders with South Australia.

The outbreak of coronavirus outbreak has the potential to throw the Australian summer of cricket into chaos but Cricket Australia insisted there is no reason to think next month’s Test series opener against India -- Day/Night Pink ball match -- at the Adelaide Oval is in doubt. (FULL SCHEDULE HERE)

Cricket Australia, in the middle of a severe financial crisis, is depending on the success of the India vs Australia series to recover some if its losses.

CA's revenues have taken a hit and after the ICC cancelled the T20 World Cup scheduled in Australia in October-November, the Aussies are banking on India's full tour.

The first Test in Adelaide will feature crowds, roughly 50 per cent of the total capacity, leaving 27,000 tickets available per day.

"There is ongoing monitoring but that’s the end of the story,” a CA spokeswoman was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald on the match which will be a day-nighter.

The newspaper said CA is monitoring the fallout of the outbreak and its officials were in contact with key decision-makers in Adelaide.

Tasmanian health authorities have returnees from South Australia since November 9 to quarantine.

This meant that Paine, Matthew Wade and their team-mates in the Tasmania squad, which recently completed the opening round of Sheffield Shield matches in South Australia, had to go into isolation.

The Virat Kohli-led Indian cricket team and the Australian players, who were part of the IPL  in UAE, are currently undergoing quarantine and training in Sydney.

The quarantine finishes just ahead of the ODI series which starts on November 27 in Sydney. After playing two matches there the teams will move to Canberra for the third ODI and first T20 before returning to Sydney.

India have two warm-up matches against Australia A in Sydney ahead of the Test series, the first from December 6-8, which overlaps with the T20 series, followed by a day-night match at the SCG from December 11-13. (With PTI inputs)