Australia's men's Test cricket team will not play any tour matches ahead of their five-Test series against India in 2027, choosing instead to hold a training camp to prepare for the subcontinent conditions. The series is set to begin in Nagpur on Wednesday, January 21, 2027.

This approach follows the same strategy used in the 2023 series against India, where Australia also skipped tour matches and trained on spin-friendly pitches in Bengaluru. That series ended in a 2-1 victory for India, with the hosts winning the opening match in Nagpur by an innings and 132 runs, a result that drew scrutiny over Australia's preparation.

Head coach Andrew McDonald said Australia would scout a location to immerse themselves in conditions similar to those in India before the series opener. "We've got a couple of options there," he told the Cricket Australia website Cricket.com.au on Wednesday. "We have gone to the UAE previously and we have also gone into India last time into Bengaluru, so we're just working through what that would look like in terms of how we then manage the individuals."

Australia has not won a Test series in India since 2004, when Adam Gilchrist's side triumphed 2-1. The team faces a demanding schedule before arriving in India, including a two-Test home series against Bangladesh in Darwin starting next week, a three-Test tour of South Africa in October, and a four-Test home series against New Zealand beginning December 9.

Fast bowler Michael Neser has been ruled out of the upcoming Bengaluru series with a calf strain suffered during training in Brisbane. However, McDonald said wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis is expected to be available after recovering from a back spasm.

Australia lost the four-match Test series against India 2-1 on the subcontinent in 2023, with the Nagpur defeat setting the tone for the series outcome.

Sources