What is the Boxing Day Test?
The Boxing Day Test is a Test cricket match that begins on 26 December each year at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It is one of the most popular events on the Australian sporting calendar.
Test cricket has been played in Melbourne around Christmas since the 1800s, but the Boxing Day Test became a regular annual fixture from 1980. The match is a highlight of the Australian summer.
Large crowds attend the first day, with attendances often above 70,000 and, during some Ashes series, more than 90,000. Millions more watch on television, making it a family tradition after Christmas Day.
Memorable moments
Famous moments include Shane Warne taking his 700th Test wicket at the MCG in 2006 and many hard-fought Ashes clashes. The Boxing Day Test has also seen great individual centuries and dramatic finishes.
The match is usually the third or fourth Test of the Australian summer, depending on the schedule. Visiting teams include England, India, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand and the West Indies.
Australian women's cricket has also been included in festive season scheduling in some years, and the Boxing Day Test has inspired similar matches in other countries, such as South Africa and New Zealand.
Did You Know?
The MCG's Bay 13 is famous for its lively crowds during the Boxing Day Test.