Australia A vs India A: Everything you need to know

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

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

What is the schedule?

The series kicks off in Mackay on Thursday, with the two sides playing the first four-day match at the Great Barrier Reef Arena from 10am local time.

The next stop a few days later is the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where several Test prospects from both sides will use this as a dress rehearsal to possibly return 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 vs India A match between teams:

November 15-17: WACA Ground, Perth

How can I watch?

Every 'A' series ball will be broadcast live on cricket.com.au or the CA Live app, and streamed on Kayo Sports.

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

How else can I track it?

If you can't tune in live, or just want to relive the action again and again, fear not!

You can catch all the highlights on cricket.com.au and the CA Live app, with our crew on the ground bringing you the latest news and video.

Watch a replay of every wicket in the match center of the CA Live app, while push notifications can alert you to all the latest news.

You can also subscribe and tune in The Unplayable Podcastwhich falls every Thursday and will cover both the A series and the white-ball series against Pakistan.

What are the squadrons?

With seventeen players to choose from, the Australian A XIs could look very different in both matches.

Chief selector George Bailey said both wicketkeepers will get a turn, and there are likely to be major changes to the bowling attack with the squad including six quicks and two spinners.

However, the primary focus will be on the highest order Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris And Konstas himself all vying to fill the void at the top of the Test order.

Together with in-form skipper Nathan McSweeneyBailey hinted that there could be some role reversal over the two matches to give all players the best chance to impress.

“We have three players opening the batting for their state and we have one player batting at three for their state (we have) four top-order hitters to try to fit in three, so there will be some adjustments there” , Bailey said.

“I think we'll set that up for the first game, and then if we see fit or feel like there's something else we want to look at for the second game, we can 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

The India A squad features only two players who were part of India's 18-member Test squad who were named top-order batsmen on Friday Abhimanyu Easwaran and pace-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy.

Both are uncapped at Test level but both could be in use during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Easwaran could come in for personal reasons during Rohit Sharma's planned absence at the start of the series, 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 are all called '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

“Anytime there's an Australia A opportunity, whether it's real or not, there's always the perception that there's a bit more pressure,” Bailey said.

“The standard of cricket is obviously quite high, so that's always a great opportunity to see how players interact in a different team to what they're used to in their country. That's all very important.

“There will be a selector present at both matches and we will be monitoring closely.”

Players to watch

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

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 final, but did not bowl much as he struggled with a groin injury. Now, four years later, Saini has played just twice for India since then, one ODI and one T20I. At full strength, Saini is probably the fastest in the India A attack and with a strong performance in Mackay and Melbourne he can guarantee he will be the next man in should a Test quick succumb to injury.

Cooper Connolly is a special talent. So special in fact that the only 21-year-old made both his ODI and T20I debuts for Australia last month. After his first tour with the national team, Connolly returned to Sheffield Shield, where he felt right at home in WA's mid-table. Connolly will only be able to play the first four-day match as he joins the ODI squad to face Pakistan immediately afterwards but against a quality India. An attack here could put him in the Test conversation.

How are the bowling supplies?

The names in the Australian Test bowling line-up, especially in the home Tests, have been very consistent in 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 many consecutive Tests was a “one-off” and that he had confidence in those waiting in the wings should any of the frontline bowlers get injured.

“Nobody lets a Test match rest,” he said. “If you're fit you play, if you're not you don't play, it's that simple.

“There's really no point in planning it the day before you call and you're either nice or you're not.”

“We have enough in the (fast bowling) stable to beat a few guys who we know can do a really good job and put pressure on us from time to time.”

The top of the pecking order would be Scott Boland And Michael Neserboth of whom have spent countless hours running drinks for Test regulars over the past summers.

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

Todd Murphy And Corey Rocciccioli compete for the spot as Nathan Lyon's back-up spinner and will have the opportunity to work with Australian assistant coach Daniel Vettori when not playing for Australia A.

Murphy will play in Mackay for the first four days, while Rochiccioli 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.

“Although they are not formally joining the one-day squad, it is a chance for these boys to spend some time with Dan Vettori,” Bailey told cricket.com.au.

“It's just a really positive opportunity to get two of our emerging and high-performing first-class cricketers around a damn good spin coach.

“Dan has obviously spent a lot of time with Murph (Murphy) on previous tours of Australia, but not with Roc (Rochiccioli), so it's an opportunity for those guys to develop a one-on-one relationship with one of the big ones.”

Australia A vs India A series

Australia A selection: 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-selection: 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 vs India An intra-team match

November 15-17: WACA Ground, Perth