Australia looking to cash in on India’s cricket commercial pull

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SYDNEY:

World champions Australia will host India in five one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals in January, it was announced Thursday.

Cricket Australia (CA) said it wanted to build on the success of the World Cup co-hosted with New Zealand earlier this year when former champions India lost to Australia in the semi-final in Sydney.

“We want to build on this great momentum,” CA executive general manager Mike McKenna said.

“Following the World Cup, we are determined that local Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Afghan, Sri Lankan and other overseas-born fans who packed Australia’s grounds with good-humoured noise and colour are able to maintain their passion for cricket as part of their adopted Australian lifestyles.”

Australia and India are the world’s top-ranked one-day teams with their World Cup semi-final watched by more than 300 million fans on Star TV in India, CA said.

CA also announced that the Sydney Cricket Ground will host all internationals in New South Wales state. T20s have been staged at Sydney’s Olympic stadium since 2010.

One-Day Internationals

January 12 – Australia v India, WACA Ground, Perth

January 15 – Australia v India, Gabba, Brisbane

January 17 – Australia v India, Melbourne Cricket Ground

January 20 – Australia v India, Manuka Oval, Canberra

January 23 – Australia v India, Sydney Cricket Ground

Twenty20 Internationals

January 26 – Australia v India, Adelaide Oval

January 29 – Australia v India, Melbourne Cricket Ground

January 31 – Australia v India, Sydney Cricket Ground