MELBOURNE: The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) witnessed a historic milestone during the fourth Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test, setting a new attendance record for a Test match in Australia, GeoSuper reported.
Over five days, 373,691 fans packed the iconic venue, surpassing the previous record of 350,534, which had stood since 1937 when Australia faced England under the legendary Sir Donald Bradman’s captaincy.
The final day of the blockbuster Test against India drew an extraordinary crowd, with 51,371 fans entering the gates by the first session and more expected later in the afternoon.
This figure exceeded the 43,867 fans who attended day four—a rare occurrence that surprised the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC), the organisation managing the MCG.
The attendance breakdown across the five days included daily figures of 87,242, 85,147, 83,073, 43,867 and 74,362.
The MCC underestimated the crowd for the fifth day, leading to logistical challenges, including significant traffic congestion due to limited gate access.
Yarra Park, typically reserved for special events, was opened for public parking to accommodate the influx.
This historic turnout follows India’s impressive draw at the MCG during the 2022 T20 World Cup, where 90,293 fans witnessed the thrilling match against Pakistan and 82,507 attended the clash against Zimbabwe.
In the final hour of play at the MCG, Australia secured a dramatic victory in the Test match, to claim a 2-1 lead in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Australia clinched the win by taking seven wickets in the final session, thwarting India’s efforts to save the game.
Australia posted a first-innings total of 474, led by Steve Smith’s 140 and Marnus Labuschagne’s 72, with Jasprit Bumrah taking 4-99. In their second innings, Australia scored 234, with Labuschagne contributing 70, while Bumrah excelled again with figures of 5-57.
In reply, India managed 369 in their first innings, powered by a century from Reddy (114) and Jaiswal’s 82, as Scott Boland claimed 3-57. In the final innings, India was bowled out for 155 despite Jaiswal’s valiant 84, with Pat Cummins and Boland sharing the spoils with 3-28 and 3-39, respectively.
Australia clinched the match by 184 runs.
