Cricket Australia officials are optimistic about drawing a crowd of 90,000 fans on Boxing Day this year, marking only the second time in a Test match. This comes as part of a summer that positions India alongside England as Australia’s most significant cricketing rival and partner. The series, commencing in Perth on Friday, marks the first five-Test contest between the two nations since 1991-92, signaling a radical new era for Australian cricket summers. India’s men’s team will become a more frequent fixture, while Australia’s top women players will leave their homeland from 2026 to participate in the expanding Women’s Premier League (WPL).
According to current schedules, both Australia’s best men’s and women’s players will be competing in India in January 2027, coinciding with the peak of the local cricket season. Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley emphasizes that while scheduling is a delicate balance, the changes are beneficial for the sport. “We are thrilled that the India series has expanded to a five-Test series, aiming to elevate the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to the same level as the Ashes,” he states. Attendance figures and financial returns underscore CA’s motivations. India has emerged as a significant draw for crowds, rivaling England, and the financial windfall from Australia-India clashes will support CA’s financial recovery.
Hockley highlights the importance of maintaining strong relationships with all cricketing boards, but acknowledges the “pure economics” of an Indian tour as “very significant.” He notes global interest in the upcoming series, with fans traveling from the US, Canada, Europe, and beyond to witness the event. Hockley anticipates a Boxing Day crowd with an initial digit of “8 or 9,” which would place it among the rarest of attendances. The largest cricket crowd at the MCG was during the 2015 men’s World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand, where 93,013 spectators watched the hosts claim the trophy. Boxing Day crowds have only once reached 90,000, during the 2013 Ashes contest.
Rakesh Patel, founder of the Bharat Army, observes a significant increase in interest in India’s men’s Test tours of Australia since the last non-pandemic series in 2019. “The Indian team’s competitiveness on the field has made it more appealing for fans to watch, as there’s a real chance of victory,” he explains. This trend is further fueled by the growing middle class’s willingness to invest in cricket experiences and the increased disposable income of Indian expatriates in Australia.
Day one crowds are expected to nearly sell out in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney, providing a much-needed boost for Cricket Australia, which has lost $50m over the past three years. The recent tours by England and India were affected by Covid restrictions, leading to novel expenditures like quarantine. Despite CA’s annual match income halving to $18m between India’s tours in 2018-19 and the pandemic-affected 2020-21 season, broadcast and marketing revenue remained robust, exceeding $200m annually. This discrepancy highlights the potential for increasing content featuring India.
Hockley anticipates a financial uplift for the sport in the next two years due to new broadcast arrangements. The Channel 7 and Fox deal is valued at approximately $215m per year, while Disney Star pays CA around $50m per year over seven years, primarily for the rights to show matches involving India. The increased focus on Test cricket against India, alongside Australia’s commitment to the Ashes, means fewer matches against other teams. In 2027, Australia’s men’s team is scheduled to visit India in mid-January for a five-Test series, culminating with an MCG Test in March to commemorate 150 years since the 1877 match between Australia and England.
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