India v Australia Test series gets record viewership

The recently concluded India vs Australia Border-Gavaskar series, which the hosts reclaimed, was one of the most viewed cricket series in a long time. More than for its on-field action, the games became a talk of the town, even among non-cricket lovers, for its off-field imbroglio.

The intense rivalry between the two captains, Virat Kohli and Steve Smith, caught the attention of many. The controversies just wouldn’t stop. Although it was far from the Monkey Gate saga, it was as hotly discussed in the media. Ever since Steve Smith allegedly looked towards the dressing room, for help on DRS for his own wicket, the cacophony off the field only got louder with every passing day.

“The #TestofTheBest campaign for the India-Australia Test series delivered on its promise becoming the highest rated Test series in the history of BARC,” a statement from Star Sports said.

As per the report, the Ashes-like series delivered 1.1 billion gross impressions. The match at Ranchi itself recorded a viewership of 383 million. This, at a time when most people thought the shorter formats of the game were eclipsing the charm of Test cricket.

India had a long series of cricket at home. It began with New Zealand, then England, then Bangladesh and then the mighty Aussies. ODI series between India and England was the highest rated bilateral ODI series in five years.

Some of the Indian veterans and fans completely wrote-off Australia in the competition, but the way the visitors competed all throughout the series was remarkable. Skipper Smith was sensational as he struck 3 centuries, and the bowlers looked fiery in almost all the games.

Fans yearned for a competitive series, both on and off the field, for a long time. And that is just what the India vs Australia 2017 series delivered.