Border-Gavaskar Trophy draws record crowd of over 8 lakh
What's the story
The recently-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy witnessed a record-breaking crowd of 8,37,879 spectators. This was recently confirmed by Cricket Australia in an official statement.
The iconic series between Australia and India Down Under not only attracted the fourth-largest audience ever for a Test match but also set a record for the highest attendance at any non-Ashes series.
Here are further details.
Praise
Cricket Australia CEO lauds teams for captivating series
Nick Hockley, the Chief Executive of Cricket Australia, lauded both the Australian and Indian teams for their efforts in the series.
He called it "one of the most fiercely contested and captivating Test series in Australian cricket history."
Hockley also congratulated Pat Cummins and his side for their first Border-Gavaskar Trophy win in a decade.
Fan response
Hockley acknowledges overwhelming fan engagement
Hockley also acknowledged the overwhelming fan engagement during the series.
He said, "the size of the crowds, viewing audiences and digital engagement across all CA channels has exceeded our highest expectations."
He added that this series has created lifelong memories for fans, whether they were watching in packed stadiums or on their screens at home.
Attendance records
Record-breaking attendance at individual Test matches
Notably, the Perth Test also set a new record for daily attendance with 32,368 spectators on Day 2.
Adelaide Day/Night Test had recorded a single-day record of 51,642 on its second day.
In Brisbane, the second day's crowd of 34,227 was the largest for a Test against India.
The Melbourne Test broke all previous records with 3,73,691 total attendance.
WTC final
Australia secure spot in ICC World Test Championship final
Australia beat India in Sydney to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade.
Despite losing the series opener in Perth, hosts Australia bounced back with wins in Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney to clinch a 3-1 series win.
With this, Australia also booked a spot in the 2025 ICC World Test Championship final, knocking India out. The former will face South Africa in the summit clash.