Near-record crowd watch India crush Australia in Perth

Test cricket is alive and well in Western Australia after a near-record 96,463 fans attended Australia's Border-Gavaskar battle with India at Perth Stadium. Poor crowds in Perth for Tests against Pakistan and the West Indies over the past two years had cast doubts about whether WA fans were losing interest in the red-ball format. But it was clear from day one of the series opener against India that the fans were back on board. A total of 31,302 spectators attended the opening day - a new single-day attendance record for a Test in Perth. That record lasted just 24 hours, with 32,368 attending on Saturday. Another 26,166 fans went through the turnstiles on Sunday, before 6627 came on Monday when Australia resumed at 3-12 chasing 534 for victory. India wrapped up the 295-run victory soon after tea on day four, bowling Australia out for 238. The grand total of 96,463 fans smashed the previous Test record for Perth Stadium - the 81,104 who saw Australia beat India in 2018/19. But the mark missed out on beating the all-time record in Perth, which was the 103,440 set across five days at the WACA Ground during the 2006/07 Ashes series, when Adam Gilchrist cracked a 57-ball century. That record is expected to be smashed next summer when Australia host England in a highly-anticipated Ashes series.