Australia V India: 1st Test Date, Live Stream, TV Info, Preview

Australia and India begin their four-match Test series in Adelaide on Tuesday. The start of the series was delayed after the tragic death of Phil Hughes, and this series will take place under extraordinary circumstances.

Venue: Adelaide Oval

Date: Tuesday, Dec. 9 to Saturday, Dec. 13

Start time: 12:00 a.m. GMT/10:30 a.m. local

Live on: Nine Network (Australia), STAR Sports (India), Orbit Show Network (Middle East), PTV Sports (Pakistan), SuperSport (South Africa), Sky Sports (United Kingdom), Sky Sport (New Zealand)

Weather: AccuWeather.com forecasts that most of the Test will be clear, except for Wednesday. Periods of rain are forecast throughout the second day, meaning it could be one of those stop-start days if the forecast holds true.

Overview

The first Test between Australia and India was scheduled to be finishing now. But this series is not going to be played under normal circumstances.

Hughes' death has seen the fixture list reworked, and though Michael Clarke was set to miss the opener, he will now lead his team for what will likely be the most emotional Test he will ever play.

The opening Test of the four-match series between Australia and India will celebrate Hughes’ life. The Test itself will see 63 seconds of applause before play begins, all Australian players will wear Hughes' number 408 and he will be listed as "13th man" on the team sheet. It will be tough for all involved, but as Clarke said during his eulogy, they "must play on."

Clarke’s opposite number, MS Dhoni, is not fit and Virat Kohli will take over captaincy duties for the visitors. India’s preparation for the series has been interrupted in a few ways. Their home series against the West Indies was cancelled and their warm-up matches in Australia were separated by a period of mourning and Hughes’ funeral.

That the visitors lost 3-1 on their most recent Test outing against England seems something of a distant memory. India's away record over the last five years has been dire, having won just two series—the most recent victory came against the West Indies in 2011.

Finding some form away from home will be at the top of India’s list of priorities. As already mentioned, they are without Dhoni, so Wriddhiman Saha will take over the gloves. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is suffering with an ankle niggle, so the attack will most likely consist of Ishant Sharma, Varun Aaron and Mohammed Shami.

It will be tough going for the visitors, but if the weather holds and there are no late injuries, it's all set up to be a fascinating series.

Key players

Australia

Mitchell Johnson has had a good few months, and during last year's Ashes, he was the man to watch. Things are different now, though, and the use of the bouncer will be under scrutiny.

During last year's Ashes series, Johnson tormented the English batsmen with the beamer, but in the wake of Hughes' death, nobody knows how the bouncer will be employed just yet.

India

Virat Kohli is fresh off an impressive series against Sri Lanka and scored 60 and 66 in the two warm-up games.

Kohli has had a terrific few months and seems to thrive under the extra responsibility of captaincy. There is no bigger test of resolve than playing against Australia in Australia, and Kohli no doubt has a point to prove.

Squads

Australia: David Warner, Chris Rogers, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke (c), Steven Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Brad Haddin (w), Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh and Josh Hazlewood.

India: Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha (w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Varun Aaron, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, Karn Sharma, Suresh Raina, Lokesh Rahul, Naman Ojha and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.