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Boxing Day Test (File Photo: X)
The fans are eagerly waiting for the highly anticipated Boxing Day Test between Australia and India in the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024. The high-octane Test fixture will be played at the ‘iconic’ Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, starting on Boxing Day i.e. December 26 onwards.
The last Boxing Day Test between Australia and India was played at MCG four years back in 2020. Ajinkya Rahane-led India defeated the hosts by a big margin of 8 wickets to level the series by 1-1 following a humiliating defeat in the Pink-Ball Test in Adelaide.
With that said, here we’ll have a look at the entire history of the Boxing Day and the Boxing Day Test. It will also reflect on the tradition of the Boxing Day Test in the history of Test Cricket.
Here’s all you need to know about Boxing Day and the Boxing Day Test:
The ‘Boxing Day’ is observed on December 26 every year in the Commonwealth countries [the countries which have been part of the British Empire]. Australia has been one of those countries which follows the tradition of observing ‘Boxing Day’. Initially, the day was to offer and give gifts to the underprivileged section of the society. Furthermore, it also happened to be a ‘shopping holiday’ in the Commonwealth Nations.
Boxing Day Test:
The tradition of Boxing Day in cricket started 159 years ago in 1865; Victoria and New South Wales took on each other in a First-Class game in the Sheffield Shield edition. The game was played in Melbourne.
In the Ashes edition of 1974-75, the third Test of the six-match series between Australia and England was scheduled on Boxing Day (December 26). It was the first-ever Boxing Day Test at home for Australia and also the start of the ‘Boxing Day Test’ tradition in international cricket.
Later in 1980, Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne was given the rights as a permanent host for the Boxing Day Test. The tradition has been continuously in practice since then unless one wants to remember the ODI played at this venue back in 1989 on Boxing Day.
Furthermore, in 1992, South Africa started their iteration of the Boxing Day Test followed by New Zealand in 1998 to carry forward this cricketing tradition.