Melbourne

Melbourne plays host to the biggest match on the Australian cricket calendar each year. This year is no different, the Boxing Day Test is part of tradition and the 97,000 fans, at their raucos best make sure that the visiting team is ill at ease.

Host of what is considered to be the first ever Test match, when an Australian XI took on James Lillywhite's touring Englishmen in 1877, the MCG is one of the game's spiritual homes.

From the moment you step in to the colosseum of the Melbourne Cricket Ground along with tens of thousands of other fans on Boxing Day, the ground rings with tension, excitement and an atmosphere seldom replicated at other cricket stadiums with the exception of maybe Eden Gardens

Australia last lost a Test here in the 1998/99 Ashes series against England with Devon Malcolm and Chris Lewis, bowling inspired spells in the fourth innings.

Pitches at the MCG have generally facilitated good contests between bat and ball. If India manage to come out of the first twos relatively unscathed, we could have a reallyl good contest here.

Ground details:
First Test: Australia v England, 1st Test, 1876/77
Result: Australia won by 45 runs

Most Recent Test: Australia v England, The Ashes 4th Test, 2002/03
Result: Australia won by 5 wickets

Head-to-head

Won by Aus	Won by Ind	Drawn	Tied	Total
5	2	1	0	8

Matches played between India and Australia

Series	Test	Date	Result
1947-1948	3rd Test	1/1/48	Aus won by 233 runs
1947-1948	5th Test	6/2/48	Aus won by an inns, 177 runs
1967-1968	2nd Test	30/12/1967	Aus won by an inns, 4 runs
1977-1978	3rd Test	30/12/1977	India won by 222 runs
1980-1981	3rd Test	7/2/81	India won by 59 runs
1985-1986	2nd Test	26/12/1985	Match Drawn
1991-1992	2nd Test	26/12/1991	Aus won by 8 wickets
1999-2000	2nd Test	26/12/1999	Aus won by 180 runs

Partnership records

Wicket	Runs	Batsmen	Match
1st	323	J B Hobbs and W Rhodes (ENG)	1911-1912 vs Aus
2nd	298	W M Lawry and I M Chappell (AUS)	1968-1969 vs WI
3rd	249	D G Bradman and S J McCabe (AUS)	1936-1937 vs Eng
4th	192	M H Denness and K W R Fletcher (ENG)	1974-1975 vs Aus
5th	223*	D G Bradman and A R Morris (AUS)	1947-1948 vs Ind
6th	346	D G Bradman and J H Fingleton (AUS)	1936-1937 vs Eng
7th	185	G N Yallop and G R J Matthews (AUS)	1983-1984 vs Pak
8th	173	C E Pellew and J M Gregory (AUS)	1920-1921 vs Eng
9th	100	A E V Hartkopf and W A S Oldfield (AUS)	1924-1925 vs Eng
10th	120	R A Duff and W W Armstrong (AUS)	1901-1902 vs Eng

Top 10 Batsmen (By aggregate runs)

Player	Country	M	Inns	NO	50s	100s	HS	Runs	Avg
Bradman, D G	Aus	11	17	4	3	9	270	1671	128.54
Border, A R	Aus	20	36	3	5	4	163	1272	38.55
Waugh, S R*	Aus	16	29	6	6	3	*131	1265	55
Chappell, G S	Aus	17	31	4	9	4	121	1257	46.56
Hobbs, J B	Eng	10	18	1	4	5	178	1178	69.29
Lawry, W M	Aus	8	13	0	5	4	205	1023	78.69
Chappell, I M	Aus	12	19	2	5	3	165	948	55.76
Harvey, R N	Aus	12	23	2	3	3	205	947	45.1
Armstrong, W W	Aus	11	20	5	3	3	*133	918	61.2
Walters, K D	Aus	11	19	2	6	2	115	846	49.76

Top 10 bowlers (By aggregate wickets)

Player	Country	O	M	R	W	5w	Best	Avg
Lillee, D K	Australia	567.3	105	1798	82	7	7/83	21.93
Trumble, H	Australia	284.4	71	646	46	3	7/28	14.04
McKenzie, G D	Australia	296.2	35	1019	45	3	8/71	22.64
McDermott, C J	Australia	390.5	84	1201	41	2	5/42	29.29
Noble, M A	Australia	220.4	55	521	39	4	7/17	13.36
Warne, S K*	Australia	384.1	99	894	37	2	7/52	24.16
Reid, B A	Australia	190.4	53	475	35	4	7/51	13.57
Johnston, W A	Australia	280.7	48	852	35	2	6/152	24.34
Barnes, S F	England	287.1	83	632	35	5	7/121	18.06
Davidson, A K	Australia	205.6	32	643	34	4	6/53	18.91

Top 10 century makers for Australia

Player	Career	Match	Versus	Inns	Runs
Cowper, R M	1964-1968	1965-1966 5th Test	England	1st	307
Bradman, D G	1928-1948	1936-1937 3rd Test	England	2nd	270
Yallop, G N	1976-1984	1983-1984 4th Test	Pakistan	1st	268
Langer, J L	1993-	2002-2003 4th Test	England	1st	250
Harvey, R N	1948-1963	1952-1953 5th Test	South Africa	1st	205
Lawry, W M	1961-1971	1968-1969 2nd Test	West Indies	1st	205
Hill, C	1896-1912	1897-1898 4th Test	England	1st	188
Taylor, M A	1989-1999	1993-1994 1st Test	South Africa	1st	170
Bradman, D G	1928-1948	1936-1937 5th Test	England	1st	169
Cosier, G J	1975-1978	1976-1977 2nd Test	Pakistan	1st	168

Century makers for India

Player	Career	Match	Versus	Inns	Runs
Gavaskar, S M	1971-1987	1977-1978 3rd Test	Australia	2nd	118
Mankad, M H	1946-1959	1947-1948 3rd Test	Australia	1st	116
Tendulkar, S R	1989-	1999-2000 2nd Test	Australia	1st	116
Viswanath, G R	1969-1983	1980-1981 3rd Test	Australia	1st	114
Mankad, M H	1946-1959	1947-1948 5th Test	Australia	1st	111

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