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The five-match Test series between India and Australia witnessed a remarkable cricketing action for more than a month.

The former Australian captain Ricky Ponting that it's hard to argue that the rivalry between the two teams isn't the biggest in world cricket.

The recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy registered a record attendance of 8,37,879 with 3,73,691 spectators marking their presence at Melbourne Cricket Ground across five days, surpassing the previous mark of 3,50,534 set in 1937.

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Historically, the England-Australia rivalry is seen as the biggest in Test cricket but the five-match Test series between India and Australia has broken all the records for attendance as well as for viewership.

Ponting was stunned by the numbers and said it would be interesting to see the Ashes attendance when England comes to get a better idea of the rivalry from the fan's perspective.

"I had a look at the numbers yesterday, it was something like 837,000 people came to watch the Test matches, which is unheard of here in Australia," Ponting told The ICC Review.

"So now that this series has happened, Australia have England coming out next summer so we'll get a better idea then. If the numbers aren't the same, then there'll be no doubt that the (Border-Gavaskar) rivalry (is bigger), certainly from the fans' point of view.

"There's two separate parts to this: There's what the fans want to see and the rivalry that they want to make of it, but it's also how the players view the rivalry between the three teams now."

The attendance figures could have been much bigger had there been no early finishes or rain interruptions in Brisbane.

"Perth only went four days, Adelaide only went three days, Sydney only went three days. Those numbers would have been astronomical if those Test matches all went five days. So exactly this time next year, we'll have a great idea of the biggest rivalry in world cricket.

"The fans, understanding how good these two cricket teams are, want to be there and be part of it and see Test match cricket at its absolute best," Ponting said.

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 "Right now, it's really hard to argue that this isn't the biggest rivalry in world cricket. It's grown.

Australia ended their long wait for a win in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as they clinched a 3-1 victory in the five-match series.