Border-Gavaskar Trophy takes cricket’s most intense rivalry to new heights

Mumbai, December 20, 2024: With an incredible turnout for the second Test match between Australia and India, Star Sports Network, Cricket Australia’s official broadcaster in India, has set new records.

The exciting day-night (D/N) match in Adelaide drew an incredible 49 million viewers, a 22% increase than the two teams’ 2020 D/N Test. Compared to the same match in the 2020 series, the watch time increased by an astounding 26% to 4.2 billion minutes. In addition to this notable increase, the TVR for the Adelaide Test increased by 32% when compared to the 2020 D/N Test.

When compared to the 2020 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the series’ first two Test matches had garnered 86 million television viewers, a 55% increase. At 12.8 billion minutes, watch time has increased by an astounding 75% from the previous edition. These staggering figures demonstrate

The unmatched enthusiasm around this “toughest rivalry” and confirm the Border-Gavaskar Trophy’s enormous popularity.

There will be an exciting finish to the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 qualifying race, as the five-Test series is now tied at one following three thrilling matches in Perth, Adelaide, and Brisbane. Perfect performances are essential in the next two Test matches, which are the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne on December 26 and the New Year’s Test in Sydney on January 3. Team India confronts a formidable task.

India can only tolerate one draw at most and cannot afford another loss in order to guarantee their place in the WTC final. Due to South Africa’s aggressive entry into the race, Australia’s path to the summit battle is also not straightforward. Meanwhile, the Boxing Day Test at the storied Melbourne Cricket Ground marks the beginning of the next phase of the “toughest rivalry.”