India will play the Boxing Day Test at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Melbourne for the third time in this decade.
When the Virat Kohli-led side enters the field on Wednesday for the third Test of the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, MCG will witness two proud nations taking on each other.
At the backdrop of such a bitter rivalry, the importance and the role played by the grounds are often ignored.
It's one of the most famous grounds in the world, having hosted some of the most important cricket matches in history. It rivalled the importance of marquee stadiums like Lord’s in London, Old Trafford in Manchester, Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Camp Nou in Barcelona, San Siro in Milan, Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, Azteca in Mexico, etc.
But the current stadium is not the original Melbourne Cricket Club ground. It was built in 1853 when the then 15-year-old MCG was forced to move from its former site to accomodate the passing of Australia’s first steam train through the oval.'
Ahead of the 2018 Boxing Day Test, let's have a look at the brilliance of MCG, it's history and importance. After all, it's the spiritual home of Australian sport for its strong association with the sport.
Important events
1877 - Hosted first Test in the history
1896 - Held Australia's first ever bicycle race
1954 - Queen Elizabeth II
1956 - Hosted Olympics
1961 - West Indies' Joe Solomon was ruled out hit-wicket after his hat fell onto the stumps
1971 - Hosted first ODI
1981 - Witnessed the infamous 'underarm' controversy
1981 - Sunil Gavaskar took Chetan Chauhan off the field after he was given LBW out
1984 - First tied ODI match, between Australia and West Indies
1985 - India won Benson and Hedges World Series
1986 - Welcomed Pope John Paul II
1992 - Pakistan Won World Cup
1995 - Darrell Hair called Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing
2015 - Australia won World Cup
Ground Facts
Name: Melbourne Cricket Ground
Nicknames: The MCG, 'G'
Opened: 1854
Ends: Members End, Great Southern Stand End
Capacity: 100000 approx.
As the name suggests, it's primarily a cricket stadium. But it continues to host other sports, concerts and other cultural events.
It even played a part during the World War II, becoming the camp for US Marines, the US Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force. It sheltered 200,000 personnel and was given the nickname Camp Murphy.
