FIVE BIG MCG BOXING DAY TESTS
1. 1981 – KIM HUGHES AND DENNIS LILLEE STAR AGAINST THE WEST INDIES
After winning the toss, Australia were in dire straits at 4-26. Hughes then rescued the innings with probably the best performance of his Test career, scoring 100no. An enthralling first day’s play closed with the West Indies collapsing to 4-10. Dennis Lillee’s reaction to bowling Viv Richards with the last ball of the day is classic. It was also the match where Lillee broke Lance Gibbs’ Test wickets world record. The pace legend took 10 for the match as Australia won by 58 runs.
2. 1982 – ENGLAND WIN A NAILBITER
England’s Ashes tour was in tatters and Allan Border’s Australian berth was in jeopardy by the fourth Test. The match ebbed and flowed, with neither side scoring more than 300 and Australia needing 292 to win. That looked unlikely when they were 9-218. But Border and Jeff Thomson dug in for a partnership of 70 and took Australia to within three runs of an amazing win. Ian Botham had Thomson caught in slips for 21. Border’s unbeaten 62 broke his run drought, while English paceman Norman Cowans was man of the match for his eight wickets.
3. 1995 – HAIR V MURALI
Not a classic Test – Australian won by 10 wickets in a canter – but what happened on day one after the tourists won the toss is a landmark incident in cricket history. Umpire Darrell Hair repeatedly no-balled star off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing. It brought to a head rumblings in the game about the Sri Lankan star’s bowling action. Muralitharan survived, going on to becoming Test cricket’s highest wicket taker.
4. 2006 – WARNE SAYS `SEE YA’ WITH 700TH TEST SCALP
After losing to England in the classic 2005 series, Australia had already regained the Ashes by the fourth Test. Warne bowled Andrew Strauss on day one for his 700th Test wicket – then the world record. Boxing Day also attracted a near-Test record crowd of 89,155. Warne took 5-39 in the first innings of his last home-ground Test. The match only lasted three days and Australia won by an innings and 99 runs.
5. 2013 – REVENGE
Three years earlier, Australia were blasted out for 98 on day one and England regained the Ashes with a resounding win. Earlier in 2013, England also had a 3-0 home series win. But Australia had already regained the Ashes by the time this series reached Melbourne. England had a 51-run lead after the first innings and were 0-54 in their second dig. England then lost 3-1 and their last five wickets for just six. Australia won by eight wickets on the way to an unexpected 5-0 series sweep.
