The legacy of Boxing Day Tests: From origins to the MCG

December 17, 2024

The legacy of Boxing Day Tests: From origins to the MCG

Currently, cricket is growing at an extraordinary pace across the world, and the International Cricket Council (ICC) is trying to add cricket to the Olympics to increase its influence in other parts of the world. However, cricket-playing nations celebrate this sport as a festival. One of the best occasions to celebrate cricket is Boxing Day matches. A Boxing Day match is one that starts just after Christmas Day.

Test-playing nations in the southern hemisphere, like Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand, try to play Boxing Day Test matches every year to adhere to the tradition. The Test match is named after the tradition of opening gift boxes in churches after Christmas Day.

History of Boxing Day Tests

The first Test match coinciding with Boxing Day was played back in 1892 between Victoria and New South Wales in Australia as part of the Sheffield Shield series. However, it wasn’t until 1913 that the first-ever Boxing Day Test match took place. South Africa hosted England for a five-match series in 1913-14, with the second match starting the day after Christmas. However, Boxing Day Test matches didn’t become a regular event until 1950. Australia and South Africa began hosting these matches with visiting teams, and eventually, other countries joined in.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is one of the most prestigious cricket grounds to host Boxing Day Test matches and carry forward this tradition, which started in 1980. Back then, the Melbourne Cricket Club and the Australian Cricket Board collaborated to host Boxing Day Test matches every year at the MCG. Since then, the significance of Boxing Day Tests played across the world has risen manifold.

Since 2020, the Player of the Match award has included the Mullagh Medal, named after indigenous Australian cricketer Johnny Mullagh. This addition brings more cultural and historical significance to the event.

Boxing Day Tests of 2024

Australia vs India, 4th Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne

The first Test of this year’s Boxing Day will be between the Australian cricket team and the Indian cricket team at the prestigious Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne. Currently, the Indian team is on tour in Australia for a five-Test match series of renowned Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The first Test match of this BGT series was won by the Indian cricket team by 295 runs in Perth. The second Test match was won by the hosts by 10 wickets in Adelaide. The third Test match of the series is ongoing in Brisbane, with the Australian team in a strong position as per the latest report.

Australia had played a total of 47 Boxing Day Test matches. The Kangaroos had won 28 of them, lost 10, and 9 matches had been drawn. The Indian team had played a total of 17 Boxing Day Test matches. The Indian team had won 4 of them, lost 10, and 3 matches had been drawn.

***Pat Cummins and Rohit Sharma strike a pose at the toss***.
***Source: ESPNcricinfo***

South Africa vs Pakistan, 1st Test at SuperSport Park in Centurion

The second big event on Boxing Day will be the Test match between the Pakistan cricket team and the South African cricket team. Currently, the Pakistan cricket team is on tour in South Africa for 3 T20Is, 3 ODIs, and 2 Tests.

The South African team is in a good position because they have already won the 3-match T20I series against Pakistan by 2-0, and they have also won the last Test match against Sri Lanka by 109 runs.

South Africa and Pakistan are ready to clash on Boxing Day at SuperSport Park in Centurion. The South African team becomes really lethal when they play on home turf.

**South Africa Cricket Team**
***Source: ESP**Ncricinfo***

Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan, 1st Test at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo

The third Boxing Day Test match for this year will be between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan. Currently, the Afghanistan cricket team is on tour in Zimbabwe for 3 T20Is, 2 ODIs, and 2 Tests. The Afghanistan team has won the 3-match T20I series by 2-1.

These two teams are known as the underdogs of the cricketing world. The performance of Zimbabwe has significantly declined in recent years; however, Afghanistan has shown brilliant performance in every format of the game. It will be really interesting to see the Afghanistan team against Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on 26th December because this is their first Boxing Day Test match.

Impact on Sports Betting

Not just avid cricket fans, the Boxing Day Test matches will also be closely followed by sports betting companies and individual bettors. When strong teams come face-to-face on the cricket pitch, betting enthusiasts would place wagers head-to-head outcomes, top batters, top bowlers, and individual player performances.

For instance, in the upcoming Boxing Day Test between Australia and India, some of the most favoured bets may include Steve Smith from Australia or Virat Kohli from India to be the top batter. On the bowling side, savvy bettors might pick Pat Cummins from Australia or Jasprit Bumrah from India. The odds and betting tips are widely available on various sports betting platforms, making it an eagerly awaited event for cricket fans and bettors alike.

Bettors from India can also engage in sports fantasy platforms, where they can create a strong team by selecting the best players from both sides. Based on the players’ previous performances, experienced bettors and audiences can form a competitive team and stand a chance to win special prizes. This adds an extra layer of excitement and strategy to the betting experience.

**Zimbabwe Cricket Team**
***Source: ESP**Ncricinfo***

List of Boxing Day Tests and Results

Year	Opposition	Result	Spectators	Attendance	Mullagh Medal
1968	West Indies	Australia won by an innings and 30 runs	18,766	113,376	–
1974	England	Draw	77,167	250,750	–
1975	West Indies	Australia won by 8 wickets	85,661	222,755	Jeff Thomson
1980	New Zealand	Draw	28,671	82,745	Richard Hadlee
1981	West Indies	Australia won by 58 runs	39,982	134,081	Kim Hughes
1982	England	England won by 3 runs	63,900	214,882	Norman Cowans
1983	Pakistan	Draw	40,277	111,611	Graham Yallop
1985	India	Draw	18,146	77,715	Allan Border
1986	England	England won by an innings and 14 runs	58,203	107,817	Gladstone Small
1987	New Zealand	Draw	51,807	127,184	Richard Hadlee
1990	England	Australia won by 9 wickets	49,763	129,530	Bruce Reid
1991	India	Australia won by 8 wickets	42,494	89,369	Bruce Reid
1992	West Indies	Australia won by 139 runs	28,397	83,320	Shane Warne
1993	South Africa	Draw	15,604	48,565	Mark Taylor
1995	Sri Lanka	Australia won by 10 wickets	55,239	105,388	Glenn McGrath
1996	West Indies	West Indies won by 6 wickets	72,891	131,671	Curtly Ambrose
1997	South Africa	Draw	73,812	160,182	Jacques Kallis
1998	England	England won by 12 runs	61,580	159,031	Dean Headley
1999	India	Australia won by 180 runs	49,082	134,554	Sachin Tendulkar
2000	West Indies	Australia won by 352 runs	73,233	133,299	Steve Waugh
2001	South Africa	Australia won by 9 wickets	61,796	153,025	Matthew Hayden
2002	England	Australia won by 5 wickets	64,189	177,658	Justin Langer
2003	India	Australia won by 9 wickets	62,613	179,662	Ricky Ponting
2004	Pakistan	Australia won by 9 wickets	61,552	129,079	Damien Martyn
2005	South Africa	Australia won by 184 runs	71,910	192,338	Michael Hussey
2006	England	Australia won by an innings and 99 runs	89,155	244,351	Shane Warne
2007	India	Australia won by 337 runs	68,465	166,663	Matthew Hayden
2008	South Africa	South Africa won by 9 wickets	63,263	174,246	Dale Steyn
2009	Pakistan	Australia won by 170 runs	59,206	156,267	Shane Watson
2010	England	England won by an innings and 157 runs	84,345	240,156	Jonathan Trott
2011	India	Australia won by 122 runs	70,068	189,347	James Pattinson
2012	Sri Lanka	Australia won by an innings and 201 runs	67,138	137,455	Mitchell Johnson
2013	England	Australia won by 8 wickets	91,112	271,865	Mitchell Johnson
2014	India	Draw	69,993	194,481	Ryan Harris
2015	West Indies	Australia won by 177 runs	53,389	127,069	Nathan Lyon
2016	Pakistan	Australia won by an innings and 18 runs	63,478	142,188	Steve Smith
2017	England	Draw	88,173	261,335	Alastair Cook
2018	India	India won by 137 runs	73,516	176,539	Jasprit Bumrah
2019	New Zealand	Australia won by 247 runs	80,473	203,472	Travis Head
2020	India	India won by 8 wickets	27,615	89,472	Ajinkya Rahane
2021	England	Australia won by an innings and 14 runs	57,100	140,671	Scott Boland
2022	South Africa	Australia won by an innings and 182 runs	64,876	155,714	David Warner
2023	Pakistan	Australia won by 79 runs	62,167	164,835	Pat Cummins