Centurion : , India’s tour of South Africa will start with its first Test match at Centurion’s SuperSport Park on Sunday.Apart from the Ashes Test between Australia & England at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), the Test match is being called a Boxing Day test because both matches will take place on the day following Christmas.Boxing Day is December 26.It is an old practice in countries such as Australia, Canada and England.This day is also a good day for cricket.Test matches can be scheduled in Australia and New Zealand, as well as South Africa.
According to folklore it is a reference to alms or poor boxes that were opened on the first day of Christmas.According to another folklore, the name derives its inspiration from boxes of presents that were handed to workers on Christmas day.The following day, they were presented with gifts and given the day off so that they could spend quality time with their families.
Boxing Day is a tradition of cricket in Australia.
It began when Victoria (Australia) and New South Wales, Australia (NSW), met in an exciting Sheffield Shield match at MCG on December 26, 1856.Although the match was a classic, it ended in three wins for NSW.Slowly, the match became a fixture and was made an annual event in 1865.
In 1950, Australia and England played their first Boxing Day match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The first Boxing Day Test match at the MCG was organized by the Australian cricket team and the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC).
India must break the modest Indian Boxing Day Test record.
Virat Kohli’s side won only three Boxing Day tests, the two in Australia.It has drawn two matches and suffered defeats in 10 of its previous Boxing Day test appearances since 1985.
The Proteas are the dominant team in South Africa facing India.They have won four of their last five matches, beginning with 1992 at Port Elizabeth.
This was thanks to Allan Donald’s twelve wickets.
South Africa’s only loss in a Boxing Day test against India was in Durban, 2010 at Kingsmead.
This is one of three victories for India in Rainbow Nation.South Africa defeated India by 10 runs at Durban in the last Boxing Day Test.
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