International cricket has resumed for India as they played two one-day international (ODI) games during the tour of Australia. The outcome for both games was not favourable for Men in Blue, but the games were of great interest to fans across the globe. Foxtel revealed on Monday that the second ODI on November 29 witnessed a record viewership under the subscription television industry for a cricket match.
A record number of 585,000 watched the game on different platforms of Foxtel and Kayo. It was an entertaining game as Australia scored a mammoth 389 runs while batting first. India fought hard but managed only 338 runs in reply. Virat Kohli has been hyped up by Australian media houses for this tour, so his good performance on Sunday might have garnered big viewership. He managed to score 89 runs during the chase.
Australia’s best batsman Steve Smith scored the second century of the series in quick time. The 31-year-old top-order batsman scored 104 runs in 64 balls, while other batsmen chipped in with vital contributions for Australia. The victory on Sunday meant that Australia took an unassailable lead in the ODI series. There were numerous big hits during both innings, which does add more entertainment value to the game.
Along with viewership, Australia has also opened stadiums for fans. It was a welcome sight for cricket to have fans in the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) as most of the games have been played behind closed doors due to the pandemic. The viewership may continue to increase as both teams will be playing three T-20 games and four-match test series. The final ODI of the game is set to be hosted at Canberra on December 2.