What is a Boxing Day Test? Here’s everything you need to know

The Boxing Day Test which begins on December 26th every year is an iconic day in the cricketing carnival. Irrefutably, known for its associations with Australia’s Melbourne Cricket Ground, Boxing Day Tests are also held in other Commonwealth nations like South Africa and New Zealand.

The origins of ‘Boxing Day’

Though there’s a discordance when it comes to its true origins, historians believe that it is thought to have outgrown long-standing British rituals of charitable giving and goodwill practices, particularly connected with Christian celebration of Saint Stephen’s Day which commences on December 26th.

Saint Stephen, who is also known as Christianity’s first martyr, was known for serving the poor. Hence, the day is traditionally celebrated with charity and the distribution of alms. All in all, the name comes from a time when the rich gifted Christmas boxes to the poor. When it comes to its context in the sporting world, horse racing events would take place on the same day.

History of the Boxing Day Test

The Test match is frequently known for its crowd-pulling event primarily at the MCG. But back in the late 19th and early 20th century, the Melbourne Test usually commenced on the New Year.

However, the tradition took its course during the Ashes of 1950-51 series when the fourth day of a Melbourne Test was played on that tour (December 22-27). The tradition also continued when the South Africans toured in 1952.

It was in 1967 when the Boxing Day Test resumed against India but this time the match was held at the Adelaide Oval on December 23rd. Regardless of the tradition being unstable, 1980 turned out to be a breakthrough year when the Melbourne Cricket Club and the Australian Cricket Board decided to secure the rights which eventually began the annual tradition of hosting a Boxing Day Test at the MCG.

Iconic Memories at the Boxing Day Test

• One of the iconic moments during that period (1975) came when there were around 85,000 visitors on the first day of the Boxing Day Test between Australia and Clive Lloyd’s West-Indies.
• Shane Warne’s 700th wicket during the 2006 Ashes came in a Boxing Day encounter
• Shane Warne’s record hat-trick in 1994 against England also came on Boxing Day
• Malcolm Marshall’s 300th Test wicket
• Legendary Steve Waugh and Brett Lee’s Test debut in 1985 and 1999

India’s record in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG

The Indian team has been one of the periodic visitors when it comes to playing at the MCG whose inception took shape back in 1985. So far, India have played eight Test matches (1985, 1991, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2014, 2018).

When it comes to their record in these eight Tests, India won their first match in 2018 thanks to Cheteshwar Pujara’s commendable knock of 106.

Now with yet another opportunity to create some history on the ongoing Test tour of Australia, it will be interesting to see how Ajinkya Rahane and his men resurrect, especially considering the mental pockmark (36 all-out) of the first Test.