India vs Australia Test series can be a 5-match affair

With COVID-19 pandemic impacting economies across the globe, cricket boards have started to formulate a strategy to mitigate its impact on the financial health of cricket. Cricket Australia, the zenith body for cricket in Australia is considering to add a Test match to the 4-match Test series they are scheduled to host later this year against India.

The move is aimed at compensating for the losses the board has incurred due to the ongoing crisis which has been forcing cancellation and postponement of sporting events across the globe.

India’s tour of Australia is scheduled to kick-off with a T20I tri-series in October. The two-month-long tour, according to the current calendar, will be punctuated by World T20 before the two sides face-off in a 4-match Test series.

Cricket Australia chief executive Kevin Roberts said that all options will be considered for hosting India, the sport's major income generator, in December and January. That could include playing all games in one venue.

“If you contemplate the prospect of the international season, in particular, being affected, we have an issue of (losing revenue of) hundreds of millions of dollars on our hands,” Roberts said. “We’ll be doing everything possible to launch and stage a season in 2020-21.”

It’s the off-season in Australian cricket but the pandemic’s economic fallout has forced the board to a situation from where a vast majority of Cricket Australia's staff will be stood down on drastically reduced pay until June 30 end of the financial year.

Traditionally, India and Australia have played 4-match Test series but Roberts thinks that administrators on either side believe that there is a need to expand on the growing rivalry.

“We won’t rule anything out in terms of the Indian series. Along with the BCCI and Indian players, we want to stage a series that inspires the cricket world, whether or not there are people in the stands," he said. “We need to face into all possibilities. Fortunately, we have a little bit of time to work out scenarios."

Australia are also determined to host the World T20 in October and are pushing ahead with the plans.