India to tour Zimbabwe for 3 ODIs in August; could tour Australia twice in next FTP

India will be touring Zimbabwe for three ODIs for the first time in six years. Meanwhile, in the next FTP, India could tour Australia twice.

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Team India is set to tour Zimbabwe for a three-match One-Day International (ODI) series next month. Although the dates for the trip are yet to be officially announced by Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC), according to Cricbuzz, the three matches, which are to be a part of the ICC One-Day Super League, will tentatively be held on August 18, 20 and 22 respectively. The games will occur at the Harare Sports Club. The matches are meaningful from Zimbabwe's perspective, as the points earned from the series will contribute towards its qualification for ICC World Cup 2023, set to be held in India.

"We are delighted to host India, and we look forward to a competitive and memorable series," a Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) official told the publication. Meanwhile, it would be India's first tour to the African country in six years. The last India tour of Zimbabwe happened in 2016 when the side led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni had played three ODIs and as many Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), with the visitors winning both comfortably.

On the other hand, Team India could be touring Australia on two instances in the next Future Tours Programme (FTP) cycle that ranges from 2024-2032. Also, the number of Tests per series is likely to be increased to five, while traditionally, both teams have played four Tests per series to date.

As per a report in The Age, Cricket Australia (CA) "recently informed a range of broadcasters, both domestic and international, of the fact that it has secured two full Test tours by each of India and England over the next FTP, with India's tours increased from four to five-match series."

The last two Test tours of Australia by India saw the latter winning both, as it created history by becoming the only Asian team to win a series in the longest form Down Under. The current ICC FTP that has been running from 2018 to 2023 is ending with the ICC World Cup, set to be held in India in October-November next year.

The full FTP will likely be announced later this month during the International Cricket Council's (ICC's) annual meeting, scheduled to be held in Birmingham on July 25-26. More recently, India has always been an enormous draw for the Australian crowds. The last four-Test series, Down Under, gave a financially struggling CA a significant boost with expected revenue of AUD$300 million.

"Seasons without Test-match visits by England or India generally mean a reduction in crowds and broadcast audiences - part of the reason CA itself works on a multi-year financial model to balance fluctuations in the international schedule," a report from an Australian daily read. Following the end of the last Test series between India-Australia Down Under, CA expressed gratitude to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the "sacrifices" it made to ensure the smooth conduct of an epic Test series, which India won 2-1 to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

(With inputs from PTI)