Records tumbled in the MCG’s last event of 2024, as 74,362 attended Day 5 of the Boxing Day Test between Australia and India, smashing an MCG record from 1936/37.
This historic Test, which included three days with attendances above 80,000, became the highest attended Test match at the MCG – with a total of 373,691 fans through the gates across the five days.
The previous record of 350,534 was set back in 1936/37 in a six-day Test between Australia and England.
This year’s Boxing Day Test was hotly contested, with momentum swinging between both sides as the match progressed. Passionate cricket fans attended in masses, with cheers and celebrations aplenty – a highlight being the iconic Bay 13 mimicking the fielding actions of new fan-favourite, Sam Konstas.
The 87,242 dedicated fans who braved the sweltering heat on Day 1 witnessed a remarkable debut Test innings from Australian opener Sam Konstas who took on a fierce Indian bowling attack.
Making a 50 on debut (out for 60), Konstas set the tone for a huge Australian batting innings, which included half-centuries for Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne and a century for Steve Smith (out for 140), etching his name onto the MCG Honour Boards.
Day 2 saw a crowd of 85,147 file through the gates as India began their first innings chasing Australia’s 474 first innings total. Another crowd of over 83,000 on Saturday – a record attendance for Day 3 – cheered on as Nitish Kumar Reddy claimed his maiden Test century (out for 114 on Day 4).
With India all out for 369 – trailing Australia by 105, the home side returned to the crease, however they struggled to replicate the batting brilliance of their first innings. Marnus Labuschagne was top scorer for Australia with 70 runs, whilst some late heroics with the bat from Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland, who combined for a partnership of 55, guided Australia’s second innings through to Day 5.
Australia’s second innings lasted just four balls on the final day of the Test as Jasprit Bumrah bowled Lyon to claim a five-wicket haul for the innings, leaving India with the task of chasing down 339 runs for victory and to secure the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Cummins made his intentions clear in the first session, taking a double-wicket maiden over to send Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul back to the changerooms. Battling injury, Mitchell Starc gave his all to dismiss Kohli on the stroke of lunch but a wicket-less afternoon session saw concerns of a draw creep in.
After Tea, a change in the bowling line-up reaped rewards with Travis Head earning the breakthrough wicket of Rishabh Pant. Boland and Lyon quickly followed, adding to their wicket tallies to leave India 6-130. With just 23 overs remaining, Yashasvi Jaiswal edged closer to adding his name to the MCG Honour Boards but after a contentious dismissal was sent for review by the Australians the youngster’s innings was cut short at 84 runs at the hands of Pat Cummins.
As the umpires signalled one hour or 15 overs left to play, India had two wickets in hand and it was all down to the Australians. It didn’t take long. Boland and Lyon again partnered to wrap up the match and take Australia to a 2-1 series lead.
Cummins’ efforts with the bat and ball in the 184-run victory saw him awarded the Mullagh Medal for player of the match in what he has called the best Test match he has been a part of.
The Boxing Day Test crowd caps off a remarkable year at the MCG – spearheaded by three back-to-back Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour concerts, a massive 2024 AFL Premiership season, a State of Origin rugby league match, and tour visit from the Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United.
Over 4-million fans attended an event at the MCG in 2024, with the highest individual attendance 100,013 at the AFL Grand Final between the Sydney Swans and Brisbane Lions.
Notable 2024 attendances:
- 373,691: Boxing Day Test: Australia v India (across five days)
- 288,000: Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour (across three nights)
- 100,013: AFL Grand Final: Sydney Swans v Brisbane Lions
- 97,828: AFL Elimination Final: Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn
- 93,647: AFL: ANZAC Day Essendon v Collingwood
- 93,066 AFL Preliminary Final: Geelong Cats v Brisbane Lions
- 92,312: AFL: Richmond v Hawthorn
- 90,084: State of Origin
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