Mumbai: Cricket Australia (CA) CEO Nick Hockley has called India’s upcoming five-Test series in Australia ‘largely comparable in commercial terms with the Ashes’. India are scheduled to play the first of their five Tests from November 22 at the Perth Stadium.

A home series against India is a key draw in CA’s AUD$ 1.5 billion broadcast deal with Foxtel and Seven network. Given the large Indian diaspora and the commercial appeal of the visiting players, an India series also presents tourism, trade and investment opportunities.

There is much anticipation around the battle between the two toppers on the World Test Championship table with India searching for a historic hat-trick of series wins Down Under, having successfully turned the tables over Australia (2-1) in 2018-19 and 2020-21.

“The Border Gavaskar Trophy and the Ashes are both massive tours on the Australian cricket calendar and are largely comparable in commercial terms, with fantastic crowds and huge broadcast audiences for each,” Hockley said in an e-mail interview. “Ticket sales from India are already six times greater than for the previous non-COVID series.”

There have been some murmurs of discontent in Australian cricket circles for crowd-pullers India being handed out softer pitches than those in the past. Before 2018, it was only in 2003 that India did not finish second-best in Australia, losing three successive Test series in between. India, though, are now a vastly improved Test outfit outside the subcontinent, proving their credentials beyond doubt on the last tour with their woefully under-strength playing eleven scoring a win in the decisive Test at the Gabba.

“Australia’s iconic cricket venues each have their own unique pitch characteristics and conditions, which is what makes the series so intriguing, including, in more recent years, the introduction of the day-night Test,” Hockley said, sidestepping the pitch debate.

The second Test of the series will be a day-night affair, one in which the hosts hold a clear edge having won 11 of the 12 pink-ball Tests at home with the force of their pace battery under lights. On Friday, CA announced a two-day fixture (Nov 30-Dec 1) for the touring Indians against Prime Minister’s XI at the Manuka Oval, which should serve as a warm-up for the Adelaide pink-ball Test starting December 6. India were bundled out for 36 in the Adelaide day-night Test during the last tour.

Given the marquee status attached with the series, the Indian selectors will get to watch India A compete in a shadow tour (two four-day matches) scheduled between October 31 and November 10 to firm up the squad. The A team will then play a three-day intra-squad match against the main squad, starting November 15 at the WACA.

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