- India chase 334 for victory in up-and-down clash
- Pat Cummins opted not to declare to start day five
The gripping battle between Australia and India in Melbourne has broken the all-time attendance record for an MCG Test, breaking an 87-year-old mark set during Don Bradman’s prime.
With the stage set for a day five classic, 51,371 spectators were already in the ground at lunchtime on Monday for what promises to be a gripping conclusion to an already fascinating match.
The total attendance of 350,700 is the largest of any Test match in Australia.
It surpasses the total of 350,534 against England in 1937 over six days, when Bradman was the king of cricket.
“We have been blown away by the fan support during the Boxing Day Test,” Cricket Australia head of operations and events Joel Morrisson said.
“The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is a hugely successful event and it has been fantastic to see such a large turnout throughout the summer.”
51,371 spectators passed through the turnstiles at the MCG on Monday, enough to break the record for the largest attendance at a Test at the famous stadium.
Fans were treated to an incredible spell from Australian captain Pat Cummins (pictured) who took two early wickets.
A total of 43,867 fans passed through the gates on Sunday, taking the overall attendance to 299,329 and breaking the previous record (271,865 against England in 2013) for a Boxing Day test.
This test has become the second highest attendance of all time, only surpassed by the India-Pakistan match (465,000) at Eden Gardens, Calcutta, in 1999.
With five-day Tests becoming a rarity in modern cricket, particularly in Australia, all tickets for Monday’s action were priced at $10.
On Saturday it attracted 83,073 fans, a record for the third day of a Boxing Day event.
Thursday’s scorching heat meant Boxing Day failed to break the all-time attendance record for one-day Test cricket (91,092 in 2013 at the MCG), but 87,242 fans still attended.
Cooler conditions on Friday meant 85,147 fans, a record for the second day of a Boxing Day test.
The previous record for a Boxing Day Test between Australia and India was 194.481 in 2014, maintaining the red-ball farewell of the great MS Dhoni.
Usman Khawaja (front) and Alex Carey (back) celebrate the dismissal of Virat Kohli
“I haven’t seen anything like it in a cricket match,” Melbourne Cricket Club boss Stuart Fox said on Sunday.
“I think just the spirit in the stadium… all of our staff on the first day just said how happy the crowd was.”
A monster year continues for the MCG following three sold-out Taylor Swift concerts from her iconic The Eras Tour in February, and the AFL season averaging 60,000 per game.
“I thought Taylor Swift was big, but this has been something else,” Fox said.
“But I think with Taylor Swift coming in, a fantastic AFL season, then this Boxing Day (2024) test is going to be tough to beat, I can tell you that.”