India unlikely to play five Tests against Australia
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly feels adding another Test in India's upcoming tour Down Under will not be possible. His statement comes after Cricket Australia CEO Kevin Roberts vouched to extend the Test series. Team India is scheduled to feature in a four-Test series against Australia following the completion of ICC T20 World Cup. Here is more.
"I don't think it will be possible for India to participate in five Tests. There will be limited-overs games and plus we have to consider the 14-day quarantine guidelines. All this will extend the tour," Ganguly told Mid-day.
Both India and Australia have had a history of hosting four matches in a Test series. However, Cricket Australia is committed to expand the series in order to recover the losses incurred due to coronavirus pandemic. Last month, Kevin Roberts floated the idea of adding another match in the Test series. He also added the series could be played behind closed doors.
The two cricket boards had indulged in talks regarding the prospect. "We've discussed a shared desire to evolve to five-Test series between Australia and India in the future. It's something we've both committed to in principle in the future, the big question is whether or not we can bring that in before the next future tours cycle in 2023," he said.
There have been several speculations about the impending T20 World Cup. While a number of bilateral series have been stalled until July, the possibility of staging the ICC tournament looks bleak. The threat of cancelation also looms over the Test series, owing to travel restrictions.
