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The India-Australia rivalry has officially reached new heights with the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 attracting a record crowd of 837,879 spectators. The five-match Test series between cricket’s giants broke the previous attendance record.
The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) alone hosted 373,691 fans over five days, surpassing the previous record of 350,534 fans set in 1937. The surge in viewership speaks volumes about the growing rivalry between India and Australia and how it has transcended the rivalry between India and Australia. The traditional rivalry between England and Australia has evaporated in the hearts of cricket fans.
India-Australia rivalry reaches new heights with record-breaking attendance of 837,879 for Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25
Responding to these figures, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting boldly claimed that it is difficult to argue that the rivalry between India and Australia is not now the fiercest in world cricket, including the traditional Ashes rivalry. The legendary Australian batsman expressed surprise at the huge turnout during BGT 2024-25.
Now, Ricky Ponting is curious to know how the crowds will be when England visit Australia for the five-match Test series in the upcoming Ashes Cup 2025 and if the crowds are not that high, then it is clear that India will compete with The competition in Australia has surpassed the Ashes, at least from a fan’s perspective.
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“ICC Review” quoted Ricky Ponting as saying: “I looked at the numbers yesterday; about 837,000 people came to watch a Test match, which is unheard of in Australia. Now that the series has begun, Australia will play England next summer. So we’ll have a better idea then. If the numbers are different, then there’s no doubt the (Border-Gavaskar) rivalry is (bigger), certainly from a fan’s perspective.”
Australian legend Ricky Ponting also emphasized that competition in cricket has two aspects: one is what the fans want to see, and the other is the fierce competition between teams. He stressed that it’s not just about fan numbers but how players view the rivalry between the three top cricketing nations.
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If the BGT test lasted five days, the numbers would be astronomical: Ricky Ponting
Ponting concluded: “There are two different parts to it: what the fans want to see and what rivalry they want to generate from it, but it’s also how the players see the rivalry between the three teams. Perth was only there for four days , Adelaide only went for three days and Sydney only went for three days. If these Test matches are all held for five days, then this number will be an astronomical number. So this time next year, we will be in the middle of world cricket. Have a good understanding of the biggest competition.”
Even former India head coach Ravi Shastri praised the growing interest in Test cricket, especially after the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He highlighted the Melbourne Test’s record-breaking attendance of 375,000 spectators, surpassing the 90-year-old record of 1936/37.
Shastri pointed out that the surge in attendance was indicative of the growing interest in modern Test cricket. He emphasized that the compelling storylines in cricket Test matches have attracted fans away from television and OTT platforms, with many even traveling from abroad to watch the matches live.
