Over-by-over report: The Boxing Day Test gets under way at the MCG. Join our writers for updates from Melbourne
Merry Boxing Day. The best part of the season. The sweat and effort of yesterday is behind you, the rush and worry is no more, and leftovers always taste better than the original meal. Time to kick back on the couch, or take a long walk in the hills, or gather in someone’s garden, and keep an eye on the cricket with us.
The principal equation for this Test is pretty simple. South Africa need runs. Their batting has been dross lately. If they can score some, they’re a chance to level up this series. At least they got a nice long break after losing in two days in Brisbane. Australia want a win. Captain Obvious, yes, but it’s not just about wrapping up this series. It’s that winning here and in Sydney should pretty much guarantee them a spot in the World Test Championship final. They have four Tests in India after this, and winning even a match over there is very difficult, let alone a series. If they go there not needing anything from the series for WTC rankings, that would be one less thing to worry about.
Also, milestones! Little Davey Warner is playing his 100th Test. I’m sure that everyone reading this in England shares the Warner love that is enveloping Australia. Or if we concede that neither of those things are accurate, there is still a lot of admiration for what Warner has been able to achieve in Test cricket from unlikely beginnings, even while accounting for the aspects of his career and conduct that have been less admirable. This week can be about the former.
And Scott Boland is playing. On the arena where he took his famous 6 for 7 last year, winning the Mullagh Medal for best afield, it was unthinkable that he would miss out. So much so that Josh Hazlewood apparently ruled himself unfit. He must have been feeling the vibes.
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