Top 5 Boxing Day Tests of all time

The ongoing 4-match Test series between Indian and Australia is nicely poised and the third Test match of the series is all set to begin from 26th December, i.e Boxing day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The Boxing Day Test match is one of the most awaited events in a calendar year for the cricket fans. The first-ever Boxing Day Test was played in 1913, between England and South Africa. The MCG hosted a Boxing Day Test for the very first time in 1950 between England and Australia.

However, it was only after 1980 that the event became a regular feature on the cricketing calendar. Since then, apart from 1989, a Test match has always been played on the Boxing Day in Australia. These days, New Zealand and South Africa, two more teams in the Southern Hemisphere, also organize Boxing Day Tests.

Here, we take a look at 5 of the most thrilling encounters that have taken place on the Boxing Day.

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5. New Zealand vs Pakistan (2003 at Wellington)

Shoaib Akhtar traps Stephen Fleming lbw

The first Test match had ended in a draw and the winner of this Test match would have gone on to claim the 2-match Test series. Kiwi captain Stephen Fleming won the toss and elected to bat first against Pakistan.

New Zealand lost wickets at the top but were kept in the game by a fighting half-century from opener Mark Richardson. He was ably supported by all-rounder Jacob Oram who fell just 3 runs short of a hundred as the Kiwis were bowled out for 366 runs.

In reply, Pakistani batsmen struggled against the pace of Ian Butler who picked up 6 wickets to bundle Pakistan out for just 196 runs. With a healthy lead of 170 runs on hand, the Kiwis looked all set to clinch the 2-match series but were left stunned by a fiery spell of fast bowling by speedster Shoaib Akhtar who picked up 6 wickets to send the Kiwis packing for just 103 runs.

Chasing an improbable target of 274 runs in the fourth innings, Pakistan got through with fifties from Yasir Hameed, Mohammad Yousuf and Inzamam ul Haq and went on to claim a famous away series win.

4. South Africa vs England (2004 at Durban)

Trescothick and Strauss put on 273 runs for the first wicket in the 2nd innings

Graeme Smith won the toss and inserted England into bat on a lively Kingsmead surface. The England batting line up kept on losing wickets at regular intervals as Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini wreaked havoc with the ball.

The visitors could only manage to put up 139 runs on the board. In reply, everyone apart from Jacques Kallis struggled for the Proteas. Kallis put on an exhibition of batting and scored a sublime century, contributing 162 runs out of a total of 332.

The English batting order were facing a huge deficit of 193 runs but responded brilliantly with the openers Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss putting on 273 runs for the first wicket. England declared at a mammoth score of 570, setting up a target of 378 runs for South Africa with 99 overs still left to play.

England looked all set to win the match but some fighting knocks from the likes of Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Rudolph and AB De Villiers helped them survive. South Africa were 290/8 when the play was called off and both the teams shared the honours.

3. South Africa vs West Indies (2007 at Port Elizabeth)

West Indies pulled off a major upset by defeating South Africa at home

The first Test of the Sir Vivian Richard Trophy was held at Port Elizabeth. Not much was expected from the Windies side as the Proteas were very strong at home.

South Africa won the toss and elected to bowl first. Some solid contributions from the top order and century from Shivnarine Chanderpaul helped the Windies post 408 runs on the scorecard.

In reply, some brilliant bowling from fast bowler Daren Powell at the top along with a good clean up act of the tail from Dwayne Bravo helped West Indies take a lead of 213 runs. West Indian batting line-up struggled in the second innings and could only post 175 runs.

Chasing a stiff target of 389 runs, South Africa were wrecked early by some inspirational bowling from Fidel Edwards who cleaned up the top order. Fifties from Jacques Kallis and AB De Villiers kept the Proteas in the game but once they fell, it was all over as the West Indies recorded a famous upset by winning the match by 128 runs.

2. South Africa vs India (2010 at Durban)

Indian players celebrate their win

India headed into the second Test match at Durban having being annihilated by South Africa in the first Test match. The surface at Kingsmead was conducive to fast bowling and India were inserted into bat by South African captain Graeme Smith.

Dale Steyn was lethal for the home side and picked up 6 wickets to bowl out India for just 205 runs. With the ball, Indian fast bowlers kept on picking wickets regularly to put the hosts on the back foot.

A 4-wicket haul from Harbhajan Singh helped India restrict South Africa for just 131 runs. A lead of 74 runs was more than handy on a difficult Kingsmead pitch. India was placed at a precarious position of 93/5 in the second innings but a brilliant counter-attacking 96 from VVS Laxman helped them post a challenging target of 303 runs for the Proteas.

In reply, the top 6 batsmen of South African got starts but failed to carry on as S. Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan picked up 6 wickets between themselves to hand India a famous win by 87 runs.

1. Australia vs England (1998 at Melbourne)

Dean Headley was sensational in the fourth innings

England went into the fourth Test match at the MCG, trailing 2-0 in the Ashes and needing a quick turnaround to keep the series alive. Mark Taylor of Australia won the toss and elected to field first.

An attractive century by wicketkeeper-batsman Alec Stewart at the top helped England post a score of 270 runs. Australian innings got off to a stuttering start as they lost both the openers with just 26 runs on the board.

A typical Steve Waugh hundred helped the Aussies take a lead of 70 runs. In England’s second innings, fighting fifties from Nasser Hussain and Graeme Hick helped post a target of 175 runs for Australia to claim the Ashes.

Australia looked all set to win the match with the score at 130/3 and needing just 45 runs to win. A stunning collapse then ensued with Dean Headley being the chief architect, picking up 6 wickets. Australia lost the remaining 7 wickets for just 32 runs as England held their nerve to clinch an exciting 12 run win.