The India-Australia rivalry has officially reached new heights as a record 837,879 spectators witnessed the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The five-match Test series between the cricketing titans broke previous attendance records.
The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) alone hosted 373,691 fans over five days, surpassing the previous record of 350,534 set in 1937. This surge in crowds speaks volumes for the growing intensity of the rivalry between India and Australia and how in which it surpassed the traditional England-Australia Ashes rivalry in the hearts of cricket fans.
India-Australia rivalry reaches new heights with record 837,879 spectators at Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25
Reacting to the figures, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting boldly claimed that it is hard to argue that the rivalry between India and Australia is not now the biggest in world cricket, including the traditional Ashes rivalry. The legendary Australian batsman expressed his amazement at the scale of the turnout during the BGT 2024-25.
Now Ricky Ponting is keen to see how the upcoming Ashes 2025 attendance fares when England visit Australia for the five-match Test series, as if the crowd numbers aren't already huge, it will be clear that the India-Australia rivalry has transcended . The Ashes, at least from the fans' perspective.
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Ricky Ponting was quoted by The ICC Review: “I looked at the numbers yesterday; it was something like 837,000 people came to watch test matches, which is unheard of here in Australia. So now that this series has happened, Australia have England next summer, so we'll get a better idea then. If the numbers are not the same, then there will be no doubt that the (Border-Gavaskar) rivalry (is bigger), certainly from the fans' point of view.”
Australian legend Ricky Ponting also pointed out that rivalries in cricket are twofold – there is what the fans want to see and the fierce competition between the teams. He pointed out that it is not just about the number of fans but also how the players view the rivalry between the three top cricketing nations.
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If the BGT Tests had lasted five days, those figures would have been astronomical: Ricky Ponting
Ponting concluded by saying: “There are two separate parts: it's what the fans want to see and the rivalry they want to make of it, but it's also how the players now see the rivalry between the three teams. Perth only went four days, Adelaide only went three days and Sydney only went three days. These numbers would have been astronomical if those Test matches had lasted five days. So right around this time next year, we'll have a great idea of the biggest rivalry in world cricket.”
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 record Melbourne Test attendance of 375,000 breaking a 90-year-old record set in 1936/37.
Shastri noted that this increase in attendance shows how much interest in modern Test cricket has grown. He pointed out that the riveting episodes of Test cricket have drawn fans away from TVs and OTT platforms, with many even traveling from abroad to witness the live action.