Boxing Day Test sees 77-year record shattered as Test cricket’s biggest rivalry breaks the attendance record.
Boxing Day Test sets new attendance record for a Test match in Australia. More than 373,691 passed through the gates at the MCG across the five days of the fourth Test between Australia and India. It surpassed the previous mark of 350,534 set in 1937.
In order to shatter the record, Cricket Australia [CA] stated early on Monday that 51,371 people had already arrived for the opening session of the fifth day. By late afternoon, that throng had grown to a final total of 74,362.
According to the attendance total, more people witnessed the 2024 MCG Boxing Day Test than watched a six-day match between Australia and England in January 1937, which was led by Sir Donald Bradman.
The attendance for this Test match has been incredibly impressive, with daily totals of 87,242,85,147,83,073,43,867, and 74,362. Since the Melbourne Cricket Club, which oversees the MCG, underestimates the number on day five, it is unprecedented for the day five audience to surpass the day four crowd.
On day five, which is unusual, they made Yarra Park outside the ground available for public parking. However, they only had one gate open, which resulted in a major traffic jam before the game and many people arriving late to enter the stadium.
The record numbers follow the huge crowds India attracted at the MCG at the 2022 T20 World Cup when 90,293 saw India play Pakistan and 82,507 watched India play Zimbabwe.