AUS vs IND: Tickets for Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground sold out, creates non-Ashes record

Tickets for the India vs Australia Test match at Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 26 have sold out, highlighting the series' growing popularity, with high stakes for India's World Test Championship qualification.

Melbourne: All tickets for the first day of the fourth India vs Australia Test, set to begin on December 26th at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), have been sold out. With a seating capacity of 90,000, the MCG will host this match—the first non-Ashes Boxing Day Test in history to achieve a complete sellout. This highlights the growing popularity of the ongoing India-Australia Test series, which has attracted larger-than-usual crowds.

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The series has already seen remarkable attendance figures. During the first day of the second Test in Adelaide, 36,000 spectators attended—the highest number for a Test match in Adelaide in 12 years. Meanwhile, the first Test in Perth also set records, with 31,302 people attending the first day and 32,368 on the second day. In total, 96,463 fans watched the match, which India ultimately won.  

World Test Championship implications  

India secured a win in the first Test of the five-match series, while Australia equalized the series by claiming victory in the second Test. The third Test is set to begin on December 14 in Brisbane.  

For India, the stakes are high. Winning the series against Australia is crucial for their qualification to the World Test Championship (WTC) Final. If India loses even one more Test in this series, their chances of making it to the WTC Final will be nearly extinguished. However, if India can win all three remaining Tests and clinch the series 4-1, they will secure their spot in the WTC Final without relying on other teams' results.