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Home > Cricket > The Challenge of Australia > Venues



Melbourne - 3rd Test

Melbourne

Venue for: Third Test, 26-30 Dec 2003

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 AusWon by IndDrawnTiedTotal
52108

Matches played between India and Australia
SeriesTestDateResult
1947-19483rd Test 1/1/48Aus won by 233 runs
1947-19485th Test 6/2/48Aus won by an inns, 177 runs
1967-19682nd Test 30/12/1967Aus won by an inns, 4 runs
1977-19783rd Test 30/12/1977India won by 222 runs
1980-19813rd Test 7/2/81India won by 59 runs
1985-19862nd Test 26/12/1985Match Drawn
1991-19922nd Test 26/12/1991Aus won by 8 wickets
1999-20002nd Test 26/12/1999Aus won by 180 runs

Partnership records
WicketRunsBatsmenMatch
1st323J B Hobbs and W Rhodes (ENG)1911-1912 vs Aus
2nd298W M Lawry and I M Chappell (AUS)1968-1969 vs WI
3rd249D G Bradman and S J McCabe (AUS)1936-1937 vs Eng
4th192M H Denness and K W R Fletcher (ENG)1974-1975 vs Aus
5th223*D G Bradman and A R Morris (AUS)1947-1948 vs Ind
6th346D G Bradman and J H Fingleton (AUS)1936-1937 vs Eng
7th185G N Yallop and G R J Matthews (AUS)1983-1984 vs Pak
8th173C E Pellew and J M Gregory (AUS)1920-1921 vs Eng
9th100A E V Hartkopf and W A S Oldfield (AUS)1924-1925 vs Eng
10th120R A Duff and W W Armstrong (AUS)1901-1902 vs Eng

Top 10 Batsmen (By aggregate runs)
PlayerCountryMInnsNO50s100sHSRunsAvg
Bradman, D GAus11174392701671128.54
Border, A RAus2036354163127238.55
Waugh, S R*Aus1629663*131126555
Chappell, G SAus1731494121125746.56
Hobbs, J BEng1018145178117869.29
Lawry, W MAus813054205102378.69
Chappell, I MAus121925316594855.76
Harvey, R NAus122323320594745.1
Armstrong, W WAus1120533*13391861.2
Walters, K DAus111926211584649.76

Top 10 bowlers (By aggregate wickets)
PlayerCountryOMRW5wBestAvg
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
PlayerCareerMatchVersusInnsRuns
Cowper, R M1964-19681965-1966 5th TestEngland1st307
Bradman, D G1928-19481936-1937 3rd TestEngland2nd270
Yallop, G N1976-19841983-1984 4th TestPakistan1st268
Langer, J L1993-2002-2003 4th TestEngland1st250
Harvey, R N1948-19631952-1953 5th TestSouth Africa1st205
Lawry, W M1961-19711968-1969 2nd TestWest Indies1st205
Hill, C1896-19121897-1898 4th TestEngland1st188
Taylor, M A1989-19991993-1994 1st TestSouth Africa1st170
Bradman, D G1928-19481936-1937 5th TestEngland1st169
Cosier, G J1975-19781976-1977 2nd TestPakistan1st168

Century makers for India
PlayerCareerMatchVersusInnsRuns
Gavaskar, S M1971-19871977-1978 3rd TestAustralia2nd118
Mankad, M H1946-19591947-1948 3rd TestAustralia1st116
Tendulkar, S R1989-1999-2000 2nd TestAustralia1st116
Viswanath, G R1969-19831980-1981 3rd TestAustralia1st114
Mankad, M H1946-19591947-1948 5th TestAustralia1st111

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