The World Cup came to an end in a carnival atmosphere as supporters for co-hosts Australia and New Zealand made up a raucous, record crowd for the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The 93,013 fans who packed into the famous arena on Sunday set an Australian attendance record, eclipsing the previous mark of 91,112 for a day of cricket set at the MCG in 2013. The International Cricket Council said the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand was the most popular in the tournament’s 40-year history, with the overall attendance reaching 1,016,421 for 49 matches.
While green and gold were the dominant colors at the MCG, there were also plenty of black caps and shirts keeping off the Melbourne sun. There was also the odd Crocodile Hunter, ballerina and kangaroo.
A significant number of Indian fans in their blue team colors joined the celebration despite Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s squad missing the final after a semifinal loss to Australia on Thursday.
Despite their proximity, Australia and New Zealand have rarely met recently on the cricket pitch, with their previous ODI in Melbourne six years ago.
At least one ticket-holder missed the match after a Melbourne man protesting against the Australian government’s refugee policy was arrested while running onto the pitch before the start of the final.
