Cricket Australia Considers Hosting 150th Test in India
Cricket Australia is open to hosting the 150th anniversary Ashes Test in India, marking a significant shift in the country's growing importance in world cricket.
The landmark Test is scheduled to take place in March next year, but while there are no current plans to take the match outside Australia, Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg has left the door open for future possibilities.
Cricket Australia is expanding its footprint in India, with the Big Bash League set to stage a match in Chennai in December. The Melbourne Renegades will face the Perth Scorchers in a match that marks another step in bringing Australian cricket closer to Indian fans.
The prospect of an Ashes Test in India reflects the commercial significance of the country's cricket market. India remains the sport's biggest audience, and hosting a marquee contest between Australia and England would generate enormous interest while creating fresh commercial opportunities.
Cricket Australia's strong ties with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have also made the possibility of hosting the Test in India more feasible. Greenberg has stated that the board would be open to considering all options.
"We'd have to be open to consider all options," Greenberg told the BBC's Stumped podcast. "Our relationship with the ECB, but also the BCCI, is very strong. And clearly, there are opportunities in India to put more content into certain areas. That's not something we are currently planning, but it would certainly be open for consideration."
The Indian calendar is already packed with international cricket and the IPL, which is expected to begin earlier than usual next year to avoid the extreme heat towards the end of May. Finding a suitable window for another marquee event would therefore be a major challenge.
Despite the challenges, Cricket Australia is keen to grow and strengthen Test cricket in India. Greenberg acknowledged that the challenge for all of them in global cricket is that there are only 365 days in a schedule, and they need another month or two if they can generate the content they want to.
The commercial significance of India's cricket market has continued to grow in recent years. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is expected to post substantial profits from the eight white-ball internationals it hosted against India recently.
While there is no clear timeline for a potential Ashes Test in India, Cricket Australia's openness to the idea marks a significant shift in the country's growing importance in world cricket.
Source: Yahoo Sports