Cricket Australia's $1.6 billion stadium snub for India tour

Queensland has beaten out Western Australia for hosting rights during India's lucrative Test cricket tour Down Under, later in the year.

Cricket Australia has decided to snub Perth's $1.6 billion Optus Stadium as one of the four venues to host the Indian side over the summer.

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With Adelaide locked in for one of the Tests and the Boxing Day and New Years Tests remaining at their traditional MCG and SCG homes respectively, it left a fierce battle for hosting rights to the fourth Test.

The Gabba has won the battle and will host the opening Test of the series, beginning on December 3.

The decision is a bitter blow for Perth, which has been given the consolation prize of hosting Australia's one-off Test against Afghanistan in November.

Rather than being played in the 60,000-seater Perth Stadium, the match has been scheduled for the smaller WACA venue.

Cricket Australia are expected to officially announce the schedule later this week, with cricket.com.au confirming the dates and venues on Thursday.

Western Australia had hoped to host Virat Kohli's India at Perth Stadium but were defeated by Queensland Cricket's bid for a match at the Gabba.

The Brisbane venue has been a stronghold for the hosts, with Australia not losing a Test there in over 30 years.

Cricket Australia's decision to award The Gabba hosting rights comes after Aussie captain Tim Paine unsuccessfully lobbied for the venue to host the first match of India's last Test tour to Australia.

India managed to avoid playing at the Brisbane fortress and went on to claim a historic first Test series win in Australia.

The Gabba series opener will be followed by a day-night Test scheduled from December 11 at Adelaide Oval.

India tour expected to deliver $300m windfall

It would be the first time India has played Australia in a pink ball test, having declined to in their last tour in 2018/19.

All cricket was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and international travel restrictions remain but India's board have said their team would be willing to tour Australia and comply with strict bio-security measures to make it happen.

India’s tour is expected to deliver some $300 million in broadcast revenue to CA; possibly more if India agree to play additional ODIs as is being discussed.

The Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) feels that India's arrival should avert a crisis, with chairman Greg Dyer arguing that CA's current push for cuts is a sign that "something is horribly wrong with the current model".

The governing body has warned that staging the Australia-India series will not be a panacea for all of its various COVID-19 financial woes.

Gate takings will obviously be down in the absence of crowds, while marketing firm Two Circles has projected the global sports sponsorship spend will fall by approximately $26 billion this year as businesses suffer in a stalled economy.