India is the biggest cricket market in the world, a fact no one can deny. With the unparalleled success of the Indian Premier League and some of the biggest cricketing superstars hailing from the country, India has become the heartbeat of modern cricket. Yet, the most sought-after and historic rivalry in the sport remains England vs Australia. The two powerhouses have been arch-rivals for decades, with the Ashes standing as the ultimate proof of that rivalry. While series like India vs England or the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia have gained immense popularity over the years, the Ashes still tops them all.
And now, there could be a chance that an Ashes Test might be played in India.
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg is open to the possibility of staging a Test between Australia and England in India to further spike interest.
Greenberg stated that while no such plans are currently in place, they would have to be “open to considering all options.”
“Our relationship with the ECB and the BCCI is very strong, and clearly there are opportunities in India to put more content into certain areas,” Greenberg told BBC’s Stumped podcast.
“It’s not something we’re currently planning, but it would certainly be open to consideration. I think Test cricket between us, England, and India is still very strong, probably bucking the trend compared to other parts of the world. So we want to make sure we continue to grow it and strengthen it,” he added.
The three nations represent cricket’s ‘Big Three’ – the sport’s most powerful economies – with India being the financial powerhouse, fuelled by the mass enthusiasm for the game in the world’s most populous country.
Any Australia-England fixture in India would require the backing of both the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Australia and England played the first Test in cricket history in Melbourne in 1877. Next year, they will meet at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for a one-off pink-ball fixture to mark the 150th anniversary of that inaugural clash.
Several former players have voiced concerns over the match being a pink-ball affair, but Greenberg said it was not his job “to be popular.”
“We wanted to get as many people to the game as possible. Playing that game in the day while people are at work and school would’ve made that difficult. Clearly there’s a commercial imperative with broadcast rights back in the UK and the time zone. Pink-ball Tests are hugely advantageous for us in terms of audience. It will anger some of the traditionalists, but we’re in the business of getting more eyeballs on our game,” he said.
Greenberg, however, insisted that Cricket Australia is trying to strike a balance between celebrating a significant landmark in Test history and ensuring the longer format attracts new spectators. “We’re trying to balance celebrating 150 years of Test cricket between our two countries but also have an eye on the future and how we can evolve the sport,” he added.
