Will India ever be able to have anything like the Ashes?

[G_B_]

Let face it guys the Ashes rightly or wrongly is the biggest event in test cricket

 

I think in the last decade briefly it was India v Australia.

 

But nothing really matches the history and the fan fair behind this event.

 

Now I am a firm backer of the BCCI. But you have to admit there is a feeling of "new money" behind them. No interest in creating a legacy. Look at the IPL few years in and full of scandal.

 

I mean forget about test cricket. India loves LOI. So why cant there be a LOI event run just by India which has a legacy factor.

 

 

[sandeep]

Yes

[Khota]

15 minutes ago, G_B_ said:

Let face it guys the Ashes rightly or wrongly is the biggest event in test cricket

 

I think in the last decade briefly it was India v Australia.

 

But nothing really matches the history and the fan fair behind this event.

 

Now I am a firm backer of the BCCI. But you have to admit there is a feeling of "new money" behind them. No interest in creating a legacy. Look at the IPL few years in and full of scandal.

 

I mean forget about test cricket. India loves LOI. So why cant there be a LOI event run just by India which has a legacy factor.

 

 

Have some self respect and quit promoting Ashes. There is nothing glorious about two average teams playing.

 

SA vs India is where the better cricket will happen.

[Ankit_sharma03]

India-Aus have been far more competitive in past 2 decades. 

Apart from 2005 ashes dont remember any ashes that made me enjoy it much being a neutral supporter 

[chapetmarunga]

step 1) Expel all undesirables to a far off continent

step 2) ashes like series

[sandeep]

58 minutes ago, Khota said:

Have some self respect and quit promoting Ashes. There is nothing glorious about two average teams playing.

 

SA vs India is where the better cricket will happen.

Regardless of the quality of cricket - the "event" nature of Ashes can't be wished away.  Its there.   And credit to the Aussie and Pommie fans for putting their money where their mouth is, in terms of valuing test cricket.   I mean, not just by stadium audiences, the amount of money spent on Ashes related tourism is enormous.   As a fan of cricket overall, you got to value and respect that.  

 

To answer the question raised by @G_B_ in more than one word - India is just starting to put together a formal "home season" for its annual calendar.   I see no reason why we won't see an Indian equivalent of the Boxing day test match - maybe a Diwali or post-Diwali test match in Oct/Nov - that turns into a banner event.   

 

And in terms of rival-specific series, maybe the next generation of greenbros will eventually give up supporting jihadis, and once that happens - the greedy babus of both cricket boards will waste no time in setting up a India-Pakistan bi-annual contest.   If such a series happens a few times, it can easily turn into a major event on a regular basis.   

 

Even though India-Aus or India-Eng could probably generate cricket of a higher calibre, the 'juice' in the India-Pakistan rivalry is almost independent of the quality of the cricket.  So I think India-Pak is the best bet of another headline-grabbing test contest.  Not just in the Indian market, but in Cricket as a whole.  

[sandeep]

9 minutes ago, chapetmarunga said:

step 1) Expel all undesirables to a far off continent

step 2) ashes like series

step 3)  Profit!

[maniac]

I am not sure....India’s equivalent of the Ashes is probably a series against Pakistan....However, despite that for every odd Chennai Test type thrillers the rest are usually dull and boring.

 

Ind-Pak limited overs series usually produces high quality games but then again a LOI series doesn’t have the same prestige as the Ashes.

 

To be honest the Border Gavaskar Trophy used to be excellent but in recent times it has been watered down either by over playing each other or just too many one sided contests depending on the home turf.

 

 

Edited November 22, 2017 by maniac

[Cricketics]

Ashes is an historical event because England and Australia played cricket the most back in the days. Its like asking can Tennis tournament take over tournaments like Wimbledon-US Open-French-Australian Open, the four grandslams.No, they can’t because these tournaments have been considered grandslam right from

the start and have been historically popular. 

 

Anyways our series vs other top countries like Australia or England are equally popular in terms of being followed by many, just like Ashes being followed by many others who are not Aussie or English. 

 

Ashes has become a brand, others can match it by having 5 game series. India vs Australia or South Africa can easily become one. 

 

[maniac]

1 hour ago, sarchasm said:

Some truly weird statements in the OP that makes me wonder if Indians really understand what they say when they speak in English. Either that or a severe case of safedi ki chamkaar.

 

You claim, Ashes is the biggest event in test cricket? But big in terms of what?

 

In terms of eyeballs, India vs Zinbabwe T20 in Harare gets more eyeballs that first day of Ashes at Gabba.

And the real measure of 'bigness', that is money, comfortably weighs in favor of India vs Zimboks T20 than an entire Ashes test. And I am quoting James Sutherland himself on this bit of factoid.

 

Then you proceed to make a subjective claim about legacy. But legacy is a factor of time. And India already is investing in one such event, it's called the IPL. Give the IPL another decade and you'd see where it stands not just WRT Ashes but international cricket itself. Everything will be sideshow around the IPL.

 

That is a wrong analogy...I am sure a Monday night American football game has more eyeballs than say an Olympic event  but that doesn’t necessarily translate  the former having more prestige.

 

It has nothing to do with licking the white man’s boots or being the trendy thing to do. For eg, FIFA WC where India doesn’t even qualify for the qualifiers becomes the most watched sporting event in India during its telecast because simple..the intensity with which the teams try to showcase their skills and the prestige attached to it. Both the prestige and intensity factors are co dependent on each other obviously.

 

Ashes may not have any connection to us from a history and tradition perspective but obviously it means so much to these Eng/Aus players that careers are planned or made or broken around this event which makes this extremely intense and that definetely makes it appealing to me as a viewer.

 

Now sure argument can be made that there is so much at stake for India when we tour South Africa...sure as an indian fan I will be more invested in that than the ongoing meaningless India-Srilanka series or even the Ashes but just as a stand alone event Ashes is definetely something that will always have that special place for a cricket fan regardless of nationality.

 

I guess apart from an India-Pak match there is no such specific legacy attached to an event specifically featuring India. I guess even these can be watered down by playing in every other cool cool cup and kit ply cup every other month like it has happens in the past. I used

to think Ind-Aus series was pretty intense but even that has been watered down a bit. 

 

 

Edited November 22, 2017 by maniac

[MechEng]

The Ashes is the proof why cricket was never meant to be a global sport in the first place. It's a game owned by Brits and Aussies.

 

When Australia or England lose a test series against India or south Africa, they get worried whether they can perform well or not in the upcoming Ashes instead of focusing on the current ongoing series, their insular attitude to any non ashes series in a way puts down the efforts of the opponent team.

Edited November 22, 2017 by MechEng

[G_B_]

3 hours ago, maniac said:

That is a wrong analogy...I am sure a Monday night American football game has more eyeballs than say an Olympic event  but that doesn’t necessarily translate  the former having more prestige.

 

It has nothing to do with licking the white man’s boots or being the trendy thing to do. For eg, FIFA WC where India doesn’t even qualify for the qualifiers becomes the most watched sporting event in India during its telecast because simple..the intensity with which the teams try to showcase their skills and the prestige attached to it. Both the prestige and intensity factors are co dependent on each other obviously.

 

Ashes may not have any connection to us from a history and tradition perspective but obviously it means so much to these Eng/Aus players that careers are planned or made or broken around this event which makes this extremely intense and that definetely makes it appealing to me as a viewer.

 

Now sure argument can be made that there is so much at stake for India when we tour South Africa...sure as an indian fan I will be more invested in that than the ongoing meaningless India-Srilanka series or even the Ashes but just as a stand alone event Ashes is definetely something that will always have that special place for a cricket fan regardless of nationality.

 

I guess apart from an India-Pak match there is no such specific legacy attached to an event specifically featuring India. I guess even these can be watered down by playing in every other cool cool cup and kit ply cup every other month like it has happens in the past. I used

to think Ind-Aus series was pretty intense but even that has been watered down a bit. 

 

 

summed up my sentiments well.

 

McDonalds sells more food than any high end chain. (i like McDonalds) But where is the prestige?

 

The world needs its McDonalds and its Fine dining outlets. Both have a place.

 

As i mentioned before it does not have to be a test series. Get something memorable for the masses with a degree of prestige in it.

[chewy]

as @sarchasm pointed out above, maybe view it from different angle, India has IPL and it will only grow bigger and something like IPL can only be sustained by India. 

 

It's not Test cricket, but IPL has been a game changer, and when it's played, everyone (who loves it or hates it) follow IPL, and even other cricket boards/associations minimise playing international series during IPL season. Even commentators in non-Indian games bring up performances in IPL to describe a player's ability. 

 

One can say India hold's an Ashes every year, much bigger, more glitzier and hosting the best players in the world.   

[chewy]

p.s, just look at the failure of England to launch a rival blockbuster league and the epic slap on face, Haroon Logart's embarassing failure of the Global t20 league

like I said only India can do something like an IPL, it's a unique event.

[Khota]

13 hours ago, sandeep said:

Regardless of the quality of cricket - the "event" nature of Ashes can't be wished away.  Its there.   And credit to the Aussie and Pommie fans for putting their money where their mouth is, in terms of valuing test cricket.   I mean, not just by stadium audiences, the amount of money spent on Ashes related tourism is enormous.   As a fan of cricket overall, you got to value and respect that.  

 

To answer the question raised by @G_B_ in more than one word - India is just starting to put together a formal "home season" for its annual calendar.   I see no reason why we won't see an Indian equivalent of the Boxing day test match - maybe a Diwali or post-Diwali test match in Oct/Nov - that turns into a banner event.   

 

And in terms of rival-specific series, maybe the next generation of greenbros will eventually give up supporting jihadis, and once that happens - the greedy babus of both cricket boards will waste no time in setting up a India-Pakistan bi-annual contest.   If such a series happens a few times, it can easily turn into a major event on a regular basis.   

 

Even though India-Aus or India-Eng could probably generate cricket of a higher calibre, the 'juice' in the India-Pakistan rivalry is almost independent of the quality of the cricket.  So I think India-Pak is the best bet of another headline-grabbing test contest.  Not just in the Indian market, but in Cricket as a whole.  

If things dont improve I am personally not in favor of any India /Pak matches.

[sourab10forever]

BCCI needs to create hype about some series...

Atleast for monetary benefits itself. Look at the ashes..two mediocre sides playing but still so much money is being minted.

[sandeep]

1 hour ago, Khota said:

If things dont improve I am personally not in favor of any India /Pak matches.

Neither am I.   That's why I said maybe the next generation of greenbros may be weaned off the jihadi tit.  

[Trichromatic]

15 hours ago, Khota said:

Have some self respect and quit promoting Ashes. There is nothing glorious about two average teams playing.

 

SA vs India is where the better cricket will happen.

He is British. How does self-respect comes in picture here?

[Khota]

54 minutes ago, Trichromatic said:

He is British. How does self-respect comes in picture here?

I did not know that. Now let me explain the self respect part, Is one playing two more important and meaningful or three playing five. I will go with one and two.

[Khota]

1 hour ago, sandeep said:

Neither am I.   That's why I said maybe the next generation of greenbros may be weaned off the jihadi tit.  

The secretion from jihadi tit is very addictive. I have no hope of playing them and that is perfectly O.K.