A record-breaking crowd of 47,566 packed the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Day 1 of the fifth India-Australia Test, setting the highest-ever opening day attendance for a Test between the two teams at this venue. Cricket Australia celebrated the milestone with a tweet: “The records keep on falling. Over 45,000 through the gates of the SCG on Day 1.”
This attendance figure surpassed the previous record of 44,901 from the 2003/04 series. By lunchtime, 45,465 spectators had already entered the SCG, marking the biggest crowd turnout for a Test at the venue in nearly 50 years. The record comes just days after the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) witnessed its highest-ever crowd earlier in the series.
Australia Dominate Day 1 Action
India, after opting to bat, had a rough start. Openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal failed to make an impact, scoring just 4 and 10 runs, respectively. Shubman Gill showed promise but was dismissed by Nathan Lyon for 27 before lunch.
Things worsened for India after the break. Virat Kohli fell for just 17 runs, dismissed by Scott Boland, who was in terrific form. Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja tried to stabilize the innings but couldn’t last long. Nitish Reddy’s golden duck added to India’s troubles.
In a surprising twist, Jasprit Bumrah played a quick cameo, hitting a few boundaries and taking India to 185 runs. Boland was the standout bowler with 4 wickets, while Mitchell Starc claimed 3, and Pat Cummins chipped in with 2.
Australia began their innings confidently but faced an early blow when Bumrah dismissed Usman Khawaja for 2. The day ended with Australia at 9/1 after 3 overs, setting up an exciting contest ahead.
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