Boxing Day Test: Crucial Tradition In Cricket's Festive Calendar
Since 2014, India has dominated the Boxing Day Test matches against Australia. Out of the three contests, the men in blue won two, whereas one ended in a draw.
India will face Australia in the fourth Border-Gavaskar Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday, with the series in a 1-1 stalemate and a place in the ICC World Championship final still up for grabs.
In cricket, a test match held a day after Christmas is considered a Boxing Day Test. The tradition is majorly followed in the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth countries, especially from the southern hemisphere, such as Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. Boxing Day is traditionally the day after Christmas when wealthy families give boxes filled with gifts to the poor as a way of showing gratitude for their work on Christmas.
The Boxing Day Test holds significance for both the Aussies and the Proteas. In Australia, matches are played in the MCG, while it is conducted at the SuperSport Park in Centurion in South Africa.
History
The idea of a Boxing Day test originated from the Sheffield Shield match played in Australia between Victoria and New South Wales in 1865. In 1950, Australia and England played their first Boxing Day Test against each other, which was part of the Ashes series.
In the same year, the Melbourne Test was played from Dec. 22–27, with the fourth game held on Boxing Day. There was no Boxing Day Test played from 1953 until 1966. Later, the tradition was revived in 1967 against India but was scheduled in Adelaide Oval.
From 1980, the MCC and Australia Cricket Board decided to initiate an annual tradition of conducting the Boxing Day Test. The 2013 Boxing Day Test held between Australia and England had the largest crowd, with 91,112 visitors at the MCG.
India's Track Record
Until 2014, India's performance in Boxing Day tests was poor, as the Kangaroos won five consecutive Boxing Tests against the men in blue in the last couple of decades.
Since 2014, India has dominated the Boxing Day Test. The 2014 Boxing Day Test ended in a tie, while the Virat Kohli-led test team clinched victory in 2018. This success was followed by a win in the 2020 test under the captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane.
India continued their winning momentum by winning the 2021 Boxing Day Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park in Centurion. The men in blue defeated the Proteas by 113 runs.
