 "Exclusive | Adam Gilchrist wants special IND vs AUS MCG Test in 2027 to commemorate relationship: 'It is a great idea'")
Australian cricket great Adam Gilchrist, in an exclusive chat with Firstpost, suggested that Cricket Australia (CA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should work towards hosting a special Test match at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in 2027 to commemorate 80 years since the first Test between the two nations. India played their first Test against Australia in Brisbane, which was also the country’s first tour as an independent nation.
When asked whether the India-Australia Test should follow the one-off match between Australia and England (scheduled from March 11 to 15, 2027) to celebrate 150 years of Test cricket, the former wicket-keeper Gilchrist backed the idea.
“I would love to see that and it is a great idea! whether it fits in the schedule is a big issue,” Gilchrist told this writer.
With two years still in hand, BCCI and CA have ample time to plan the fixture. Australia will also be touring India for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in early 2027.
“Maybe January 26 (Australia Day and Republic Day) which is a shared national acknowledgment day. I think it is a great idea and certainly an acknowledgment of the relationship and partnership between the two nations. It would be something in the sporting sense. They are two powerhouse nations. There is another opportunity to develop through sports diplomacy after the Brisbane 2032 Olympics as I believe India is also pitching for (the hosting rights) Olympics 2036. Australia will help India win the bid and then help. There are all sorts of stuff that we can do together,” said Gilchrist.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsRecord Indian fans travelled to Australia for BGT
The intense rivalry between India and Australia across formats has arguably overtaken the once highly anticipated India-Pakistan clashes. A record number of Indian cricket fans travelled to Australia for the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Cricket Australia revealed on Thursday, 13th February, that ticket sales for the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy saw a six-fold increase among fans in India compared to the 2018-19 series hosted by Australia. Over 6,000 travelling fans purchased tickets directly from India, with many more securing them through friends and family in Australia. The surge underscores the growing popularity of Australian cricket among Indian fans and their significant contribution to Australian tourism.
Thanks to the immense success of the IPL, Australia’s perception of India has evolved. The cricketing rivalry between the two nations now coexists with growing cooperation that extends beyond the sport.
“Of course, they do. It’s grown even to the greatest level and greatest scale since 2008 (acrimonious tour), even ten years prior to that. It really started to flourish. I think it is borne out of respect for each other. I think the greatest respect you can show to your opponent is to challenge them back or be fearful of them challenging you with skill. I am so glad that we all have moved on from that ill-fated 2008 tour which left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. And hopefully, we never revisit those sorts of situations again,” Gilchrist, who is regarded as the best ever wicketkeeper-batter to have played the game, said.
India also led international ticket sales for this Australian cricket summer, surpassing the UK and USA. The Boxing Day Test at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground was a major draw for Indian fans, with over two-thirds of the tickets sold to Indian travellers.
“The increasing number of travelling Indian fans this summer highlights Australian cricket’s increasingly important role in facilitating tourism and trade outcomes for governments and businesses across Australia,” said Joel Morrison, Cricket Australia’s Executive General Manager Events and Operations.
Talking about Australia’s approach to building a relationship with India, the 53-year-old Gilchrist said: “The great thing is that government relation is at an all-time high. I have been very fortunate to be part of the federal government advisory board for the India-Australia partnership and relationship through business, commerce and trade. I think there is so much opportunity and the key thing is that, be it sporting or anything beyond sports, you have to make it a two-way street. A lot of nations are courting India because of the growth of their economy, there is opportunity for trade and investment but you cannot go there blindly thinking that there is just one way.”
‘Commemorative Test will boost relationship’
There’s no denying that India-Australia clashes are unmatched in modern cricket. However, the former Australian captain believes there is much more to explore in the relationship between the two nations beyond the sport.
“We as a nation, Australia needs to present our best self and show to India that there is opportunity for India. Be it through business or education or whatever maybe. That is key and beauty of the Indo-Australian relationships is that a lot of things can start with a common love for cricket. And we grow from that and we saw that in the last Test series in Australia.
“The volume of the people who have come down from India to Australia to watch those games, the number of the business executives coming for meetings around Test match cricket. And that’s great and so why don’t we do something special and we can flourish from there,” said the man who, while standing in for Ricky Ponting as captain, conquered the “final frontier” by leading Australia to their first Test series win in India in 35 years during the 2004-05 tour.
The Indian cricket team is set for a return to Australia with the men’s team featuring in three ODIs and five T20Is in October-November 2025. However, the main question now is can CA and BCCI consider planning something as grand as Gilchrist’s suggestion, potentially elevating the Indo-Australia rivalry — and the prestigious Border-Gavaskar Trophy — to a stature rivalling the Ashes?
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