Cricket Australia CEO suggests England-Australia Test match in India to boost format interest

England and Australia should be open to the idea of playing a Test match in India to help generate interest in the format, says the chief executive of Cricket Australia.

The two sides traditionally only meet in Test cricket as part of an Ashes series, which is played on a home-and-away basis, with each country hosting it roughly every four years.

Australia and England are, though, poised to play a one-off Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in March 2027 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first meeting between the sides.

And Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg told BBC Sport the prospect of taking international cricket's most storied - and marketable - Test rivalry to India should be on the table.

Such a fixture would need buy-in from both the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

"It's not something that we are planning, but it's open for consideration. We'd have to be open to considering all options," Greenberg said.

"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."

Cricket Australia is already looking to expand its footprint in India by taking the Big Bash League overseas for the first time, with Melbourne Renegades due to face Perth Scorchers in Chennai in December.

The governing body says the move is designed to grow the competition's global appeal by tapping into cricket's biggest market.

The popularity of Test matches in India have declined in the modern era amid a diet of T20 and the dominance of the Indian Premier League.

Greenberg said there was "no doubt" an England v Australia Test played on Indian soil would capture the imagination.

"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," he said.

Greenberg defended the decision to stage the 150th anniversary Test against England under lights.

The centenary Test in 1977 was also played in Melbourne but this match will be the first men's Test at the venue to use a pink ball.

Some high-profile former Australia players are understood to have voiced their disapproval to Cricket Australia but Greenberg said it was not his job "to be popular".

"We wanted to get as many people for the game as possible. Playing that game in the day while people are at work and school would've made that difficult," he said.

"Clearly there's a commercial imperative with broadcast rights back in the UK and the time zone. Pink-ball Tests for us are hugely advantageous in terms of audience.

"It will anger some of the traditionalists but we're in the business of getting more eyeballs on our game."

Greenberg said Cricket Australia was trying to strike a balance between marking a significant milestone in the history of Test cricket and ensuring the longer format continued to move with the times.

He also indicated preparations for the match would produce a pitch offering a better spectacle than the one used in last year's Ashes Test at the MCG which England won inside two days.

"We're trying to balance celebrating 150 years of Test cricket between our two countries but also have an eye on the future and how we can evolve the sport," added Greenberg.

"We're trying to find that balance and hopefully the MCG pitch will be a little flatter than it was for the last Ashes.

"We certainly do have a good record in pink-ball Tests, but I think you'll find this one will be a bit flatter and have less grass on it, that's the intention."