David Leggat: South Island could host top teams other than India

Brendon McCullum bats against India in Christchurch in 2009, one of only three games the Indians have played there this century. Photo / Photosport

COMMENT:

Consider this: on their last three tours of New Zealand, India have played a total of 26 matches across the three forms.

Of those, only four have been played in the South Island — three in Christchurch and one in Queenstown, in 2003.

You might remember the most recent of them — March 8, 2009 — at Lancaster Park.

Sachin Tendulkar smeared New Zealand for 163, Tim Southee's 10 overs went for 105, Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder slammed 166 in 22 overs. A total of 726 runs and 14 wickets added up to high entertainment.

Since then, it's been all North Island for the Indians, who insist, as part of their lucrative deal with New Zealand Cricket, put together by Star Sports, all short-form games in New Zealand are played as day-nighters to make the most of Indian viewership through the daytime hours.

It's tough for the lights-free South Island but as NZC chief executive David White put it yesterday, it's simply the harsh commercial reality.

The money from the Star contract flows back into various aspects of cricket in this country — juniors, women, major associations — money New Zealand needs to service the game and keep the cogs oiled.

NZC are the only country with a significant individual contract with the Indian board. That is a pointer to the relationship between the two countries.

Having the Indians on your side these days is a good place to be, even if it means they call the shots on when, where and what time they play when they come here.

India are arriving this summer for five ODIs and three T20s, and are back again in the 2019-20 summer for two tests, three ODIs and five T20s, as a lead-in to the world T20 to be held in Australia in late 2020.

There's no reason why, say, University Oval in Dunedin could not host one of those two tests.

Then again, those matches are part of the new test championship and it will be best foot forward in terms of maximising crowds. Commercial imperatives will be high on the agenda.

That said, there's also no reason why England and Australia, coming for a total of 10 internationals that same 2019-20 summer, could not turn up in Dunedin or Nelson, the other major international locations besides Christchurch's Hagley Oval south of Cook Strait.

The only country New Zealand are beholden to under that Star Sports agreement is India.

While it's easy to suggest the future is bleak if grounds don't have floodlights, outside of Indian visits, it's not quite as cut and dried as that.

Preferable certainly, but remember last summer when Ross Taylor played one of his greatest innings, 181 not out on one bad leg, off 147 balls.

That was in Dunedin, against the high-profile England team, before a packed house and was a rip-roaring watch.

Food for thought.