With the IND vs SA 1st Test starting on December 26, one might have heard about the Boxing Day Test starting. But what is a Boxing Day Test? And why is the India vs South Africa Test in Centurion being labelled as one?
What is a Boxing Day Test?
For a match to be classified as a Boxing Day Test, it has to start on the 26th of December.
How did the Test get its name?
The term ‘Boxing Day’ is related to the Christian festival of Christmas. As per tradition, people receive gifts and presents from their friends and family on December 25. These gifts are opened on the very next day, the 26th. Hence, the ‘Boxing Day Test’, comes from the age-old tradition of operating your Christmas presents on December 26th, and cricket is intertwined with the custom.
History of Boxing Day Tests
The first Boxing Day Test match was played during the 1950–51 Ashes series in Australia. That Test match had started on December 22, with the 25th being an off day. From then on, the Boxing Day Test has become synonymous with cricket and the Australian summer.
However, the Boxing Day Test as we see it today (December 26–December 30) came into relevance in 1980. In the last 43 years, most Boxing Day Tests have been played in Australia and at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in particular.
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