Highlighting strong public interest in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, tickets for the opening day of the fourth Test between India and Australia at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) have been sold out, the Cricket Australia announced on Tuesday.
This is the first time in the history of Australian cricket summer that the opening day of a non-Ashes Boxing Day Test will be full-house. The MCG has a capacity of 90,000 and the stadium is expected to be packed for all days of the Test.
“All available public tickets for Day 1 of the NRMA Insurance Boxing Day Test have been sold. There will be a possible final release of a small number of public tickets on December 24 for non-members to get their seats,” Cricket Australia posted on social media on Tuesday.
Boxing Day Test is one of the most special events in the cricketing calendar across the globe, with teams locked in their respective series from December 26 to 30, before heading for the New Year break.
With Australia staging a stellar comeback to level the five-match series 1-1 after their 10-wicket triumph in the Pink Ball Test at the Adelaide Oval, there’s a surge in demand for tickets for the remainder of the rubber. The two rivals will head to the MCG for the Boxing Day Test after the completion of the third Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, starting December 14.
The pink ball Test in Adelaide drew a crowd of 135,012 across three days, setting a record turnout during a five-day game featuring the two sides. As many as 36,225 fans went to the Adelaide Oval on the first day of the second Test, exceeding the previous record of 113,009 for a Test against India, which was set over five days in 2014-15.
The single-day attendance record for a Test against India in Adelaide was also shattered on the opening two days with over 50,000 fans attending the game.
The first two days of the opening Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth also broke records for attendance at any Test match in the city, at 31,302 (Day 1) and 32,368 (Day 2), respectively. The match, which lasted four days before India won by 295 runs for their biggest victory on Australian soil, saw 96,463 people go through the gates, the second-highest total attendance ever recorded in Perth and the highest at Perth Stadium, CA stated in a release.