Australia: India Test series starts one day after Sri Lanka T20 series ends

Australia will start next year's Test series in India one day after completing a home Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka.

The final T20 game takes place in Adelaide on 22 February 2017, with the first of four Tests in India starting in Bangalore on 23 February.

Steve Smith, David Warner and Mitchell Starc - all of whom are in the Test squad - will miss the three T20s.

Australia will play 52 games in all formats in 2016, including 11 Tests.

They played 33 matches in all formats last year and 40 in 2014.

Former Australia batsman Simon Katich, who is currently a consultant to the Australian Cricketers' Association, said the amount of cricket played and the number of caps being awarded "sends a bad message".

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said:, external "It's interesting to hear, but players do choose - in a six-week window in the middle of the year when they are technically on holidays - to play in the Indian Premier League.

"Scheduling is something that cascades down a little bit, where what happens here in Australia is very much a function of what happens at international level.

"There's a lot of work being done at the moment to revamp the structure of international cricket - to bring more context and relevance to matches."

Australia beat India 2-0 in their most recent Test series in 2014-15.