AUS v IND Boxing Day Test at MCG smashes decades-old record

The fourth AUS v IND Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Australia’s Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) has broken a decades-old record.

The Boxing Day Test between Australia and India has drawn a crowd to the tune of 373,691 across five days of the game.

With the figures, the fourth game of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy surpassed the previous record of 350,534 set in 1937.

As per Cricket Australia, 51,371 arrived for the first session of the final day of the Boxing Day Test to break the record.

In the latter session, the number increased to a final tally of 74,362, taking the five-day total to 373,691 in attendance at the MCG.

The tally has now become the largest, surpassing the previous numbers when Sir Donald Bradman-led Australia played England in January 1937 at the same venue, which was played over six days.

A day-wise breakdown showed that 87,242 attended the AUS v IND game on the first day followed by 85,147 on the second day.

As many as 83,073 attended the third day of the Boxing Day Test while 43,867 and 74,362 were in presence on the fourth and final day at the MCG, respectively.

It is worth noting here that the biggest single-day crowd at the MCG was recorded when 93,013 arrived to watch the World Cup 2015 Final.

As many as 90,293 were in attendance to watch the PAK v IND game in the T20 World Cup 2022 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

India’s game against Zimbabwe in the same tournament pulled a crowd to the tune of 82,507.

Meanwhile, Australia defeated India by 184 runs in the fourth AUS v IND Test to take a 2-1 lead in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The hosts were bundled out for 155 after losing seven wickets for just 34 runs on the final day of the game.