Canberra gets four-day cricket treat for India v Australia series

Canberra is set to host India for a four-day double treat, with Virat Kohli's team all but locked into matches in Sydney and the capital to start their Australian tour.

There were fears Canberra would be absent from the international calendar this year after the COVID-19 pandemic saw matches scheduled for Manuka Oval scrapped, but changes to Queensland's quarantine plans for India prompted a Cricket Australia rethink.

It has led to two matches between Australia and India being scheduled at Manuka Oval - a one day international on December 1 and a Twenty20 on December 4.

Cricket officials are in talks with the ACT government about how many fans will be allowed to attend given the venue capacity could be sliced in half for the matches, which could mean only up to 5000 tickets would be available.

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There is some hope that figure could rise with Cricket ACT chief executive James Allsopp hoping the deal to play in Sydney and Canberra will be finalised next week.

"It would be terrific, we're really hopeful. There have been some great conversations this week around Canberra playing a part in the white-ball series," Allsopp said.

"I'm just really mindful that the Canberra summer is going to look very different there. We know the [Canberra] Capitals are having to move north to play in the WNBL, things like Summernats won't proceed, as well as Spilt Milk and some of those iconic festivals in Canberra.

"We'll have something that provides our community with a great deal of hope and inspiration, and something to look forward to. The city is going to be beamed throughout the world.

"It's so well-supported, particularly by the people of India who are doing it tough at the moment with COVID out of control over there at the moment.

"A fantastic opportunity for our city, it's not set in stone yet, but we're hopeful next week we can finalise it and make an announcement about seeing Virat Kohli and Steve Smith do their thing at Manuka in December."

Sydney is likely to host the opening two matches of the one-day series on November 27 and 29 at the SCG, before the final two matches of the Twenty20 series are played at the same venue on December 6 and 8.

Manuka Oval has been largely unused this year due to the impact of coronavirus, with the venue's three AFL fixtures cancelled.

It is hoped Big Bash action will also still come to Canberra in December and Cricket ACT, ACT government and Cricket Australia officials have been locked in negotiations. BBL fixtures have been placed on the backburner until the Indian tour is ticked off.

The NSW government has signed off on Cricket Australia's quarantine proposal, with an updated schedule for India's tour expected to be finalised soon.

CA had planned on Brisbane being the quarantine base for Kohli's side and Australia's Indian Premier League stars, who will travel from the UAE to Australia next month on a charter flight.

Queensland Health reviewed biosecurity plans for India's big touring party during recent weeks and on Monday sought further clarification before the NSW and ACT governments answered an SOS.

Kohli and teammates will be able to train while quarantining in Sydney, although at this stage it is unclear what size of groups will be permitted.

Updated fixtures for Justin Langer's team must now be ticked off by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), while the Department of Home Affairs will also need to rubber stamp the charter flight.

But the governing body is unlikely to encounter issues with either organisation.

The sport's free-to-air broadcaster Seven is desperate to have firm dates for the summer, having pointed to the absence of a schedule as one of many concerns during an ongoing contract dispute with CA.

Australia and India will play three Twenty20s and three ODIs before contesting a four-Test series, which is expected to start at Adelaide Oval in mid-December.