Know why day after Christmas holds significance on Boxing Day Test matches

Team India is all set to face South Africa in the first Test game, which is slated to take place on December 26 at Centurion. However, Australia has locked horns with the Pakistani team for the second Test game at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. Notably, both sides are playing boxing day test matches. However, here we will look into what Boxing Day is and what importance it holds.

Boxing Day means the return of cricket on the pitch post-Christmas. Notably, the Boxing Day Test game is a worldwide sporting event that falls on December 26 of every year. However, in cricket, especially in nations like Australia and South Africa, Boxing Day Tests are an integral and historic game.

Meanwhile, the name “Boxing Day” is generally believed to have arisen from the tradition of wealthy families packing boxes full of gifts and presents for the underprivileged as a “thank you” for working on Christmas. However, there is no concrete evidence of this.

If I look at the vibe and the feel of the MCG, especially on Boxing Day, it’s special: Saud Shakeel

Meanwhile, in an interview with ESPNCricinfo, Pakistan batter Saud Shakeel opened up on the significance of playing in a Boxing Day Test, for which he used to wake up at 5 am to watch as a child in Pakistan. The middle-order batter revealed that the day has an extraordinary feeling and a new excitement for him to play the game on Boxing Day. However, the right-handed batter hopes to defeat the hosts in the ongoing second Test at MCG to create history.

“If I look at the vibe of the MCG, especially on Boxing Day, it’s special. It’s a very unique feeling and the excitement of this particular Test match is like none other. It’s a huge opportunity for us, still. No Pakistani side has won a series here (in Australia), so if we perform well and win the series, as a player, think of how much growth that will afford a player throughout a career.”