Reliving Team India's three Boxing Day Test triumphs

The Indian cricket team is currently in South Africa preparing for the three-match Test series, which will get underway with the Boxing Day encounter at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.

A Boxing Day Test is always considered special because of the history attached to it. December 26, the day after Christmas, is celebrated as Boxing Day in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, among other countries.

Legend has it that the name refers to the alms boxes (or poor boxes) in churches that used to be opened on that particular day. There is another belief which claims that the day got its name as boxes of gifts that were presented to servants for working on Christmas Day.

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Recap: India’s Boxing Day Test wins

India have played a few Boxing Day encounters at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and some in South Africa as well. They have tasted victory in three Boxing Day Tests so far. Here’s a recap:

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#1 Durban 2010 - A Very Very Special win

Team India celebrate after winning the 2010 Boxing Day Test in Durban. Pic: Getty Images

VVS Laxman was the architect of India’s first Boxing Day Test triumph in Durban in 2010. The Proteas won the toss in the second Test of the three-match series and sent India into bat. As has often been the case in South Africa, India’s batters struggled under challenging conditions and managed only 205. Things could have been worse but for Laxman’s 38 and skipper MS Dhoni’s 35.

India fought back hard to stay in the contest. Zaheer Khan (3/36) sent back the openers cheaply, while Sreesanth took out AB de Villiers for a duck. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh then ran through the tail with figures of 4 for 10 in 7.2 overs. South Africa were rolled over for 131 as the Boxing Day Test came to life.

Laxman then played one of his finest overseas knocks to ensure India set a tough target for South Africa in the fourth innings. He batted for 280 minutes and faced 171 balls for his fighting 96, a knock which featured 12 fours. Laxman deserved a hundred but was the last man out, caught behind off Dale Steyn.

Thanks to Laxman’s efforts, India reached 228 and set the hosts a challenging 303 for victory. Sreesanth had Graeme Smith (37) and Hashim Amla (16) caught behind, before getting rid of Jacques Kallis (17) with a ripper. A short-of-a-length ball reared up sharply, forcing even the great batter to fend at it and offer a simple catch. Zaheer (3/57) ran through the lower order as India claimed a famous Boxing Day triumph by 87 runs.

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#2 Melbourne 2018 - Pujara resilient, Bumrah brilliant

An ecstatic Indian team after the last wicket falls during the 2018 Boxing Day Test at the MCG. Pic: Getty Images

When India visited Australia in 2018/19, most pundits agreed that this was India’s best chance to win a Test series Down Under. The Aussies were without their two big guns in the batting department - Steve Smith and David Warner - both of whom were serving their ball-tampering bans. Also, Australia were yet to completely recover from the controversy.

Despite the circumstances giving India the upper hand, the visitors needed to translate the advantage on the field. The Virat Kohli-led India began the Test series with a memorable win in Adelaide. However, Australia hit back hard in Perth and it was even-stevens heading into the Boxing Day Test.

India won the toss and batted first at the MCG. More significantly, they put up an impressive total on the board. While makeshift opener Hanuma Vihari was dismissed for 8, debutant Mayank Agarwal (76) and Cheteshwar Pujara (106) featured in a second-wicket stand of 83. After Agarwal’s departure, Pujara and Kohli (82) built on the solid foundation and added 170 for the third wicket to put India on top in the Boxing Day Test.

Pujara played a typically defiant knock, occupying the crease for 481 minutes, during which he faced 319 deliveries and wore down the Aussie attack. Kohli also played a patient knock as his innings came off 204 balls. Rohit Sharma chipped in with an unbeaten 63 as India declared their innings at 443 for 7.

After the batters had done their job, it was Jasprit Bumrah’s turn to shine. Team India’s pace spearhead claimed 6 for 33 as Australia were bundled out for 151. Bumrah famously outfoxed Shaun Marsh (19) with a brilliantly disguised slower ball and then beat Travis Head (20) for pace. His range was on full display at the MCG and Australia’s batters had no answers.

India scored 106 for 8 in the second innings, setting Australia a target of 399. The visitors came up with a combined bowling effort in the second essay to scuttle the hosts’ resistance. Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja picked up three each, while Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami chipped in with two apiece. Australia were all out for 261 in 89.3 overs as India registered one of their most famous overseas wins in the Boxing Day Test.

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#3 Melbourne 2020 - Rahane resurrects India after Adelaide horror

Shubman Gill and Ajinkya Rahane celebrate victory in the 2020 Boxing Day Test against the Aussies. Pic: Getty Images

For obvious reasons, Ajinkya Rahane is critics’ favorite punching bag at the moment. However, exactly a year ago, he was being showered with accolades by pundits and fans alike. India’s tour of Australia 2020-21 got off to a disastrous start as the visitors crumbled to an all-time low of 36 all-out in the first Test in Adelaide. As if that wasn’t enough, India were to be without their leader and best batter Kohli, who was to miss the next three Tests after having applied for paternity leave.

Rahane was named captain for the remainder of the Test series. He was under massive pressure as he had not scored too many runs in the opening Test, and to make matters worse, had even run-out his well-set skipper in the first innings. Basically, the universe seemed to have conspired against India heading into the Boxing Day Test.

India lost the toss. However, Bumrah (4/56) and Ravichandran Ashwin (3/35) kept India in the contest with fantastic bowling spells. Bumrah sent back Joe Burns for a duck and ended Head’s resistance for 38 before getting past a couple of lower-order batters. Ashwin was gifted a wicket by Matthew Wade (30) but smartly outfoxed Steven Smith (0), having him caught at leg gully.

Mohammed Siraj also made an impactful debut, dismissing the well-set Marnus Labuschagne (48) and Cameron Green (12). Australia were all-out for 195 in the Boxing Day encounter and India were very much alive again.

They now needed to bat well in their first innings and Rahane led from the front in the literal sense. He was glued to the crease for 359 minutes and faced 223 balls en route to his most famed international knock. Rahane controlled the Indian innings with precision, hitting 12 fours in his sublime effort before being run out for 112.

While opener Mayank Agarwal was dismissed for a duck, there were good contributions from debutant Shubman Gill (45) and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (57). India put up an impressive total of 326 in their first innings.

All the Indian bowlers chipped in the second innings to hold Australia to 200 and put the visitors on track for another victory in a Boxing Day Test. Siraj proved his worth again, claiming 3 for 37, while Bumrah, Ashwin and Jadeja picked up two each.

India’s fantastic bowling effort meant they needed only 70 runs to clinch the Boxing Day contest and square the series. The visitors got home by eight wickets and fittingly, Rahane hit the winning runs. The ghost of Adelaide had been buried in emphatic style.