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SportCricketBoxing Day Test

This was published 1 year ago

As it happened: Australia win the Boxing Day Test by 184 runs over India, lead series 2-1 going into the final Test

Roy Ward
Updated ,first published

Key Posts

Pat Cummins wins Mullagh Medal as man of the match
Australia have won the Boxing Day Test
WICKET: Boland gets Bumrah
WICKET: Deep is out
‘In my view it was out’: Taufel
Your view: Was Jaiswal out?
WICKET: Jaiswal is out
What Australia needs to win and how long they have to do it
WICKET: Reddy is gone
What Head meant with that celebration

That’s all from a magic Test match

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What a brilliant way to finish our Test match live blog for 2024.

Australia has won the fourth Test by 184 runs and has 2-1 series lead over India going into the final Test in Sydney starting on January 3.

Pat Cummins thanks fans as he leaves the MCG after day five of the Boxing Day Test.Justin McManus

That is all we have for you on our live blog tonight, but thanks so much to Scott Spits, Vince Rugari, Andrew Wu, Gemma Grant, Daniel Brettig, Tom Decent and Greg Baum for their contributions throughout the match (apologies if I left anyone out).

It’s been an honour, as always, to blog such a great event. Our cricket live blog team will be back on January 3 for the SCG Test.

We will have plenty more cricket coverage tonight and throughout the coming days, so please keep visiting our sport pages.

Good night, have a wonderful New Year and bye for now.

Steve Smith on Konstas and the unknowns of the SCG

By Roy Ward

Australian star Steve Smith is back in the runs and could pass 10,000 runs at home at the SCG in the final Test.

But his immediate concern during day five was the safety of young batter Sam Konstas who was causing some chaos while fielding, and talking, at bat-pad.

Steve Smith of Australia celebrates a century.Getty Images

“I mean, he is mad. He enjoyed himself under the lid,” Smith told Seven post match.

“I thought at one point Jaiswal was trying to hit the ball at him to shut him up.

Whether it was for a wicket or for the over rate – Head’s wicket changed series

By Roy Ward

Were Australia chasing a wicket or trying to fix their lagging over rate?

Whatever reason they had to bring Travis Head on to bowl his spinners to start the final session, it may have won them the series, as his half-volley was top-edged by Rishabh Pant and was caught in the deep.

Australian players celebrate the wicket of India’s Rishabh Pant.AP

“He’s got a bit of a Midas touch,” Australian skipper Pat Cummins said of Head’s bowling.

“I will give the coach [Andrew McDonald] the credit for suggesting that one, but we were also a bit behind on the over rate so we thought we would throw him in there, he might get a breakthrough and he would help us out with some [quick] overs.”

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‘I’ll deal with that tomorrow’: Starc shrugs off back issue

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Mitchell Starc has refused to be drawn on his back issues, deferring the question to tomorrow, when asked post match.

Starc appeared to be favouring his back but kept bowling on the last day despite his issues.

Mitchell Starc of Australia celebrates with team mates the wicket of Virat Kohli of India.Getty Images

Starc took 1-24 from 16 overs on day five taking the key wicket of Virat Kohli.

“I’ll deal with that tomorrow,” Starc told Fox Cricket when asked about his back.

Pat Cummins wins Mullagh Medal as man of the match

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Australian skipper Pat Cummins has won the Mullagh Medal as man of the match in the Boxing Day Test.

“What an amazing Test match, this was one of the best I’ve been a part of,” Cummins said.

“We have a pretty happy change room at the moment.”

Player of the Match Pat Cummins of Australia poses with the Mullagh Medal.Getty Images

Cummins batted and bowled well, taking six wickets and scoring 100 runs in the match.

‘It probably cost us the game’: Sharma

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Indian skipper Rohit Sharma admits his side missed out on too many chances to win the Boxing Day Test.

“We had our opportunities, we had our chances and we let Australia get back into the game,” Sharma said.

“Things can get tough, things can get difficult. But we want these challenges, we want to play tough cricket.

“We had our chances, we didn’t grab them and it probably cost us a little bit the game there.”

Rohit Sharma of India plays a shot during day five.Getty Images

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‘Just get me on’: Head on Australia’s plan to get Pant

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Travis Head was in good form on the microphone after he managed to snare the wicket of Rishabh Pant early in the last session.

Head’s short ball was smashed by Pant out to Mitch Marsh in the deep.

“I had four and half days off, so I thought I would contribute,” Head quipped while speaking to Fox Cricket.

Mitch Marsh catches Rishabh Pant close to the boundary.Justin McManus

When asked what the plan was to get Pant, Head, with his tongue in cheek, said, “just get me on”.

“I just threw them down there and see what happens. I was very lucky it turned out that way.”

Australia took 7-43 in the last session

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That was a stunning last session at the MCG.

First Pant holed out off the bowling of Travis Head and then the collapse continued.

More than 77,000 fans turned out on the last day for the conclusion to the longest Test match of 2024.

Australia needs to win or draw to claim the Border/Gavaskar trophy in Sydney while India now needs the win to draw the series 2-2 and retain the trophy.

Scott Boland of Australia celebrates the wicket of Jasprit Bumrah of India.Getty Images

Australia have won the Boxing Day Test

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Australia have bowled out India to win the fourth Test at the MCG by 184 runs.

Nathan Lyon took the last wicket trapping Siraj lbw. The DRS review confirmed the on-field decision.

They will take a 2-1 lead to Sydney for the fifth and final Test starting on January 3.

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DRS review for the last wicket

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Lyon looks to have trapped Siraj in front.

He was called out but Siraj reviewed. He looks gone.

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