A Bold Idea Gains Traction
The prospect of England and Australia squaring off in a Test match on Indian soil has moved from idle speculation to genuine conversation, with Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg confirming the idea is firmly on the table. Speaking to BBC Sport, Greenberg stopped short of calling it a concrete plan, but his words carried enough weight to suggest this is more than a passing thought. "It's not something that we are planning, but it's open for consideration. We'd have to be open to considering all options," he said.
As a former coach who has spent years thinking about how the game grows at grassroots and elite level, I find this genuinely exciting. The Ashes is the most storied rivalry in Test cricket — arguably in all of sport — and the notion of taking it to the world's biggest cricket market is the kind of bold thinking the game needs right now.
Why India Makes Sense as a Venue
Cricket's commercial centre of gravity has shifted dramatically towards India over the past two decades, and anyone who ignores that reality is doing the sport a disservice. Greenberg acknowledged as much, pointing to the strength of relationships between Cricket Australia, the England and Wales Cricket Board, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India as a foundation from which something meaningful could be built. "Our relationship with the ECB and the BCCI is very strong and clearly there are opportunities in India to put more content in certain areas," he said.
It is worth noting that Test cricket has faced a tougher battle for attention within India itself in recent years, with the dominance of the IPL and a broader appetite for the shorter formats eating into the format's traditional fanbase there. A one-off England versus Australia fixture, however, would be a different proposition entirely. Greenberg was clear that such a match would "capture the imagination" — and it is hard to disagree. The neutral Indian cricket fan, raised on a diet of world-class batting and fierce rivalry, would likely embrace that fixture with enormous enthusiasm.
Context: A Landmark Test Already Confirmed
This discussion comes against the backdrop of an already-confirmed historic fixture. England and Australia are set to meet at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in March 2027 to mark 150 years since the two nations first played Test cricket against one another. That anniversary match, which will be staged under lights and has already drawn some criticism from traditionalists, demonstrates that both boards are willing to think creatively about how the Ashes brand is deployed.
Australia, who currently hold the Ashes following a commanding 4-1 series victory over England in the 2025-26 campaign, are also expanding their global ambitions on other fronts. The Big Bash League is set to venture outside Australia for the first time in December, with the Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers meeting in Chennai — a move clearly designed to build Cricket Australia's presence in the Indian market ahead of any deeper collaboration.
What It Would Mean for Test Cricket
From a betting perspective, a neutral venue Test between England and Australia would throw the markets wide open — stripping away home advantage and creating a fascinating dynamic for outright and match odds alike. But beyond the commercial angles, this is fundamentally about protecting Test cricket's long-term future.
Greenberg summed it up well: "I think Test cricket between us, India and England is very strong and probably bucking the trend in some other parts of the world. We want to make sure we grow and strengthen it." That sentiment deserves support from every corner of the cricket world. If taking the Ashes to India helps cement the format's relevance for a new generation of fans, it is an idea well worth pursuing.
