Australia vs India 2024-25 Boxing Day Test: All you need to know

Australia vs India 2024-25 Boxing Day Test: All you need to know. (Photo by Santanu Banik/Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The fourth Test of the ongoing edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26, 2024. The series is delicatley poised at a 1-1- scoreline, and a win for either side in the Boxing Day Test could provide a massive impetus required ahead of the fifth and final Test of the series in Sydney.

Speaking of India‘s track record in Boxing Day Tests against Australia, it has not been anything out of the ordinary. Ahead of India’s previous Boxing Day Test in 2020, Australia recorded five wins and two draws. The 2021-21 tour Down Under was a memorable one for India as they registered an eight-wicket triumph at the MCG under the leadership of Ajinkya Rahane.

Over the last decade, Australia have totalled eight victories (five at home, two away and one at neutral venue) in Boxing Day Tests. On the other hand, India have registered nine wins (four at home and two away, with seven draws).

Sachin Tendulkar leads the way with 3630 runs. He is followed by Ricky Ponting (2,555), VVS Laxman (2,434), Virat Kohli (2,168), and Steve Smith (2,166).

In Australia, Ponting heads the run-scoring list with 1893 runs followed by Sachin (1,809), Kohli (1,478), Laxman (1,236), and Smith (1,206).

With the ball, Nathan Lyon has secured the most wickets (124), with the rest of the bowlers in descending order being Ravichandran Ashwin (115), Anil Kumble (111), Harbhajan Singh (95), and Ravindra Jadeja (89). Lyon (63) remains the frontrunner in Australia too. The off-spinner is followed by Kapil Dev (51), Pat Cummins (49), Mitch Starc (49), and Anil Kumble (49).   

The session-by-session timings for the Boxing Day Test are as follows:

First session: 5-7 am IST 
Second session: 7:40-9:40 am IST
Third session: 10 am-12 pm IST

*An additonal 30-minute period can be used, if needed, in order to complete the required quota of overs for the day.

Ahead of the fourth Test, there are some interesting statistics which certain players could attain. Indian pace-bowling spearhead, Jaspirt Bumrah, is only six wickets away from becoming the 12th Indian to secure 200 Test dismissals. Smith needs 191 runs to become the fourth Australian to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket. 

Also Read: AUS vs IND 2024-25: KL Rahul on verge of big feat in Boxing Day Tests

Another interesting point to note is that the Australian bowling unit has dismissed 27 batters within the first 20 deliveries faced in the last three Tests played in Melbourne. Meanwhile, Indian batters possess a strike rate of 59 in the first 20 deliveries faced in Tests in 2024.