5 talking points from all the Boxing Day cricket

#4 Babar Azam's gritty knock

South Africa v Pakistan - First Test

The menacing South African pitches spare none and certainly not a collapse-prone Pakistani batting line-up. Pakistan had been cornered within 35 overs in the innings when the scoreboard at Supersport Park read 111-8.

It was once again the intent of an in-form Babar Azam that came to the visitor's rescue. Babar stood valiantly facing the threatening short balls of South Africa's pace battery. He squeezed out 67 invaluable runs with Hasan Ali for the 9th wicket to give Pakistan a chance in the game. Babar's knock was easily one of the best by a Pakistani batsman overseas in recent times.

Due to his efforts, Pakistan managed a decent total of 181 in the end.

#3 Green Mat at Christchurch dissolves many

New Zealand v Sri Lanka - 2nd Test: Day 1

While the MCG looked relatively bowler un-friendly in the first session of the Boxing Day test, the cricket Gods perhaps found a way to strike the perfect balance in the cricket universe when a green carpet was rolled out for the second Test between New Zealand and Sri Lanka. And the pitch lived up to its outward appearance as 14 batsmen fell prey on the first day of the Test.

Sri Lanka's Suranga Lakmal wreaked havoc early in the day when he returned with career-best figures of 5 for 54 after his captain asked the hosts to bat first. The young pacers - Kasun Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara too made most of the conditions as they combined to take 4 wickets, fostering New Zealand to fold for 178 runs in the first innings.

However, when it was NZ's turn with the ball in hand, they simply returned the felicitations by accounting for 4 wickets before the close of play. It was Tim Southee who grabbed 3 of those 4 wickets.