BGT 2024-25: Boxing Day Test sets all-time attendance record in Australia

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 Boxing Day Test between hosts Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) broke the record for the most attended cricket match in Australian history. 

The previous record, withstanding the test of time for 87 years, finally saw the end of the light on December 30 (Monday), the fifth day of the India-Australia duel when more than 50,000 people crossed the gates of the famed MCG in the first session itself. 

It was shocking for the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC), which manages the MCG, to see such a crowd on Day 5 as it breached the numbers achieved on Day 4, a Sunday, by quite a margin. 

An ESPNcricinfo report said that commotion was created in the MCG's general parking after the authorities opened only one gate for parking facilities, clearly underestimating the numbers. 

The 51,371 entries before Lunch, bound to increase in the last two sessions, meant that 350,700 people attended the Boxing Day Test of 2024 at MCG. More than 350,534 people had passed the gates over six days of an Australia-England Test at MCG when the great Donald Bradman was at his prime and leading the Aussie side in 1937. 

Here’s a number break-up of all five days of the BGT 2024-25 Boxing Day Test attendance at MCG

Day 1- 87,242 

Day 2- 85,147 

Day 3- 83,073

Day 4- 43,867

Day 5- 51,371 at least