Last Updated: August 5, 2026 12:26 PM
Australia’s preparation plans for their next big India tour look genuinely different this time around. One traditional cricketing tradition is being replaced with something new entirely. The reasoning behind this shift makes real sense once fully explained. Here’s exactly what head coach Andrew McDonald had to say about it.
Why Australia Will Skip Practice Match Fixtures
Andrew McDonald confirmed Australia will skip practice match fixtures before the BGT 2027 series. Instead, the team plans to hold a specialized pre-series training camp. McDonald believes this camp offers more targeted preparation than typical warm-up games.
Australia is still weighing different locations for this specialized training camp. He wants players fully immersed in conditions similar to those in India. The team may even recreate Indian-style pitches during their training sessions.
“We feel as though we’ve got enough time to immerse ourselves in those conditions. We won’t be taking on a practice game. It’ll just be more around the location,” McDonald said.
Australia Has Used This Strategy Before
This isn’t the first time Australia has chosen this preparation approach before touring. They used a similar camp in the UAE before their 2025 Sri Lanka tour. A training camp in Bengaluru also preceded their 2023 series in India.
“We’ve got a couple of options there. We have gone to the UAE previously and we have also gone into India last time into Bangalore, so we’re just working through what that would look like in terms of how we then manage the individuals.”
Ahead of the India tour, scheduling adds another layer of complexity too. Australia’s home series against New Zealand comes right before the India tour. Some India-bound players may skip certain Tests against New Zealand entirely.
Balancing the Busy International Calendar
This shift could also affect player availability during the Big Bash League. Some stars might reduce involvement there to prioritize their Test preparation instead. McDonald clarified that Australia isn’t opposed to practice matches generally though.
“We don’t always take the opportunity to play warm-up games or first-class games on the entry, and that’s probably because we haven’t traditionally had the space and time, and also we’ve had an experienced group.
They’ll still use warm-up fixtures when the schedule genuinely allows for it. Ahead of tours to South Africa and England, tour matches remain likely. A fixture against England Lions could depend on WTC final qualification.
The Bigger Picture Behind BGT 2027
Players arrive at different preparation stages depending on where they’ve been playing. Some come straight from the IPL, domestic cricket, or county competitions. That compressed calendar makes traditional warm-up games genuinely hard to schedule everywhere.
“Some players are going to be coming out of IPL, some players are going to be coming out of April, May in Australia preparing back here, some might be in county cricket, so we’re going to have players at all different stages of prep.
“Our intention is that we qualify for the World Test Championship final, but there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge there. To have that game available to finish off the prep for players, if we weren’t to make the WTC final, would be important.
“We’re not against practice games as long as they can fit in. That’s always the hard part with a schedule that does get compressed. We feel like a game on a Test venue against a quality opponent potentially is the best thing for that (UK) tour.”
McDonald called a practice match at an actual venue valuable, given enough time. Australia’s ultimate goal remains qualifying for the 2027 World Test Championship final. They’ll also aim to end their long wait for a series win in India.
