Boxing day historyTeam Rohit, who has the dream of playing the World Test Championship Final (WTC Final) in his eyes, will face the Kangaroos in the fourth Test match from next Thursday, Boxing Day i.e. 26th December, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Australia had leveled the series 1-1 by winning the second Test against Team India, which had won the first Test match, while recently India was somehow successful in drawing the match in Adelaide. And now the eyes of crores of Indian cricket fans are once again on Boxing Day (26 December). Everyone is expecting that there will be very exciting cricket in the last two Tests, while the fans are also still holding on to the faint hope of getting a ticket for the WTC Final, which seems to be a very, very difficult task. Anyway, let’s talk about Boxing Day, which remains on the lips of fans, but there are a large number of cricket lovers in the world who do not know its history. Let us know in detail what is the history of Boxing Day, when did the tradition begin, when did it meet cricket. And what was the record of Team India in the matches played on this occasion.
history is like this
Boxing Day is a tradition whose mention in the Oxford Dictionary dates back to 1743. The dictionary describes it as “the day after Christmas Day”. It started in England and spread throughout the world with the expansion of the British Empire. This day is celebrated as a national holiday in England since 1871. Today it is celebrated in England and Commonwealth countries like Canada, Australia, New Zealand. The question is what is Boxing Day? Let us tell you that this tradition started with companies and rich people giving gifts to their employees or the poor. These were given in gift boxes. And hence this day came to be known as Boxing Day. In recent years, Boxing Day has been completely transformed by the social structure and continued economic progress. At the same time, it is organized in its own style in a particular country and place. At present, the importance of Boxing Day has become completely linked to the shopping holiday.
Boxing Day in Cricket!
As far as cricket is concerned, in the year 1865, a match was played between Victoria and New South Wales during the Christmas season under the Sheffield Shield Trophy. Christmas Day comprised one day of the entire match. In the 1950-51 Ashes series, the Melbourne Test was played from 22 to 27 December. But from 1953 to 1967, no Test was played on Boxing Day. The match started on Boxing Day from the 1974-75 Ashes series, but Cricket Australia included it in its schedule from 1980 under the modern tradition.
India’s record is mixed
India’s record at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) has been mixed. Of the 14 Test matches played on this ground, India has won four matches, while it has faced defeat in eight. India’s latest win came in the year 2020 under the captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane, when India bounced back after a shocking defeat and won the match to level the series 1-1. This match will always be remembered for Rahane’s out-of-box captaincy and his 112-run innings and the important contribution of the tailenders.
