The Boxing Day Test - Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
26 - 27 Dec
From waking up at 4:30/5 AM as a 10/11-year-old in 1991/92 to traveling to Australia to witness the purest form of the game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, I feel truly blessed and grateful!
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| Boxing Day 2022 - when the idea formed! |
Boxing Day 2022 - where it all started
On December 26, 2022, I was strolling around with Sapna and Anirudh on a blazing Melbourne afternoon outside the “G.” It was close to tea time, and I hopped in to take a few pictures. As I stood there, I realized my visa was valid until May 2025. That’s when I decided to give myself the best chance to be Inside the MCG, cheering for India, two years later!
Fate was kind and here I was on December 26, 2024, with my high school buddy Sharan, living out a bucket list item.
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| From the N Stand lower tier - with Sharan |
The Journey to the “G”
On my way to Melbourne, I met so many passionate fans(young and old, celebrities!) traveling from different parts of India for this historic match, at the transit lounge in Singapore. A couple of folks from the Bharat Army were there, trying to teach me the “Pant song” (yes, they have a cheer song for every Indian player!). It was incredible to see how cricket brought everyone for this massive event—the Boxing Day Test, perhaps the last one to feature a few legendary players from both teams.
Honestly, I made the trip hoping to see two men shine—Jasprit Bumrah and Yashasvi Jaiswal (YBJ). Any knock from Virat, Rohit, or Pant was going to be a bonus! The Aussie crowds are not very forgiving, but they always cheer for a good performance and a genuine champion. Every ball Bumrah bowled was met with cheers from the crowd, and it was an amazing feeling to witness India finally rallying around a bowler—an absolute treasure of the sport!
Day 2 was all about Steve Smith’s century—a tough session for India, with the loss of early wickets before the lovely partnership between YBJ (wow!) and Kohli. Kohli looked quite assured until the series-defining run-out.
Virat Kohli didn’t do himself any favors by running into young Sam Konstas on Day 1, the crowds booed him throughout. Siraj also faced some heat after his Adelaide send-off of Travis Head. The Aussies, however, loved Jaiswal. That Perth hundred (especially how he hammered the bowling), had already set a high benchmark and the Aussies knew he was a secret threat and could be back in 4 years to stamp his greatness!
What a fantastic test match, what a venue - Read more on my MCG experience here - Google Review
Jasprit Bumrah gets Travis Head
Akashdeep finally getting a wicket - Dismissing Alex Carey
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| Day 1 - I was there (85147 on Day 2) |
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| Day 2 - With the great man |
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| Travis Head (did not know cricket!) -😀 Sitting next to me with his gang of 7 - They must have had at least a dozen beers thru the day! |
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| View on Day 2 - Square of the wicket - G stand |
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| The crowds were not kind to him after his Konstas bump |
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