It doesn’t get better than this, and now it doesn’t get bigger than this either! We’re talking about the MCG Boxing Day Test, which featured:
- 373k attendance over 5 days, breaking an 87-year-old record
- 1200+ runs and 40 wickets
- 404 overs completed
With the result coming in the last hour of the last session of play, it was simply five days of unmatched thrill and excitement, five days of pulsating, non-stop action, five days of loud drum beats and crowd roars, and five days of pure and unadulterated entertainment.
After almost 23 years in Australia, we were finally able to realize our dream of watching this big game live on Boxing Day at the MCG. To stand there with 87,000+ people and join the national anthem of our Matra-Bhoomi (motherland India) and Karma-Bhoomi (Australia, our adopted nation where we work) gave us goosebumps. It was an unparalleled experience, one I will cherish forever. The match itself had so many highlights, with so much drama both on and off the field.
After the rain-marred Brisbane test, both teams were raring to go for a win and get ahead at the MCG. India held an impeccable record with two wins and a draw in their last three matches at the venue, while Australia was determined to carry forward the momentum from their Adelaide Test win and their fine performance in the first innings in Brisbane.
The game got off to a fast-paced start on a grassy pitch. A 19-year-old debutant, Konstas, known for his swashbuckling batting, was pitted against the world’s best bowler, Bumrah – and the stage was set for a virtual David vs. Goliath showdown. After an initial spell where Bumrah constantly beat Konstas, the latter turned it around and literally so, by using the ramp shot to hit Bumrah for two consecutive boundaries and a six. Konstas, with his unorthodox approach, had arrived on the world stage, and with a near run-a-ball score of 60, he became the crowd favourite for the next 5 days!
Then came the incident that would become the biggest talking point for the following days – on the field, India’s star batsman Kohli shoulder-nudged Konstas, and both exchanged a few words. While no one except the two players (and perhaps Khawaja and the umpires) would know exactly how and why it happened, most fans and commentators seemed to agree that both players, especially Kohli, could have avoided physical contact. Fans from both sides had strong opinions on what action the ICC should take. Stories and episodes of sledging and bitter rivalry between the two teams since the 1990s began circulating, including the infamous Monkey-gate scandal that had rocked the 2008 Test series.
ICC promptly declared its verdict, issuing a demerit point and a fine for Kohli. However, this also became a flashpoint, as Australian fans felt that BCCI’s muscle power was influential in Kohli ‘getting away’ with the incident. Kohli became the chief villain, and host country fans directed their ire at him at every opportunity during the match. Some Australian media outlets, especially regional publications and commentators, presumably added fuel to the fire by making controversial statements and publishing divisive columns and provocative images aimed at tarnishing the image of India’s biggest star. The crowd followed their lead, and some ugly scenes were witnessed at the MCG throughout the five days.
Back to the match itself, fortunes swung toward India in the last session on Day 1, with Bumrah bringing his team back into the game with a few quick wickets. When Head, India’s tormentor-in-chief for the last two years, was toppled for an unexpected duck, the Indian fans were back on their feet.
Day 2, however, saw fortunes swing back to Australia as ‘old’ war-horse Smith shone once again, as he had in Brisbane. Smith and the Australian tail-enders, especially Cummins, gave a dogged fight, adding a crucial 160-odd runs that would define the course of the match.
Barring Jaiswal and Rahul, India’s famed top and middle order had looked like a rapidly sinking Titanic throughout the series. India had only managed to cross the 300-run mark once in five innings before the MCG Test. It seemed like the same storm would engulf the team again in Melbourne. However, on Day 3, Nitish Reddy and Washington Sundar steadied the sinking ship.
Nitish scored a brilliant hundred to add to his run of good scores, and surely, he has been the greatest anchor for Team India during BGT 2024. In Perth, we had seen Jaiswal’s real-life story, rising from the maidans of Mumbai to become India’s Test team opener, showcased brilliantly by both the Australian and Indian media. In Melbourne, it was heartening to see emotional scenes and interviews with Nitish’s family. The stories and the struggles endured by this very talented player and his family, along with his determination and grit in the face of adversity, were a treat to hear and watch.
Although Australia managed a lead of 105 runs, India seemed to have found a way back into the match early on Day 4 as Bumrah worked his magic in bursts of destructive spells that claimed the prized wickets of Konstas, Head, Carey, and Marsh.
While it was Smith in the first innings, this time Cummins found company in Labuschagne for a crucial 57-run partnership that wore down the Indian bowlers. There was more frustration to come as Australia’s long tail wagged yet again – the 10th-wicket pair of Lyon and Boland adding as many as 61 runs to set a massive target of 340 runs for India.
On Day 5, India’s batting woes continued, and the top order collapsed once again to Australia’s pace bowling, which extracted life from a mostly flat pitch that offered just a bit of variable bounce. India’s hopes faded when Pant and Jaiswal departed after a vigil lasting almost three hours. Jaiswal’s wicket and the DRS controversy divided fans again, but India’s dramatic 7-wicket collapse saw the game end suddenly in Australia’s Favor in the last session.
So, what was the turning point of the game? Was it the Smith-Cummins partnership in the first innings or the Lyon-Boland partnership in the second? Pat Cummins’ batting in both innings or his bowling in the second? Jaiswal’s run-out in the first innings or his controversial catch in the second? Pant’s heave in the first innings or in the second? Kohli’s dismissal going for his favourite drive to a ball pitched outside the off-stump in the first innings or the same attempt in the second?
Whatever the turning point, Australia won at the MCG – but so did Test cricket. Pat Cummins described it as one of the best wins of his career. The Test is already being called one of the greatest Test matches of the modern era. It will be remembered for Sam Konstas’ remarkable debut, Steve Smith’s resurgence, and Pat Cummins’ exemplary captaincy and fighting spirit, leading from the front with both bat and ball.
From India’s point of view, Jasprit Bumrah stole the limelight with the lowest bowling average (202 Test wickets @ 19.52), while Nitish Reddy, with his batting prowess and “Pushpa/Bahubali”-style celebrations, has carved a place in the Test cricket jungle like wildfire. In contrast, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli might be remembered for the wrong reasons, but they can salvage some pride by displaying their vintage batting in the last Test of the series.
India won in Perth, was beaten well in Adelaide, and while they fought back at the Gabba and had a couple of good sessions at the MCG, Australia has emerged as the stronger side so far. The teams now move to Sydney for the final showdown, and hopefully, the Indian team will give their fans something to cheer as they fight hard to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
