With the excitement and exhaustion of Christmas Day over, the Boxing Day Test at the MCG is one of Australia's most popular sporting events. Reasons for this go well beyond the fact that cricket in Melbourne, and indeed Australia, attracts loyal supporters.
The popularity of the Boxing Day Test also has something to do with Australia's relaxed outdoor lifestyle, which sees sports lovers appreciate a fine summer's day spent with friends watching sporting greats battle it out on a well-manicured field.
The first ever Test match involving Boxing Day took place in 1950. Prior to that, Boxing Day at the MCG had been the domain of Sheffield Shield cricket, often the highly popular Victoria-New South Wales encounters.
Many famous events have happened during the Boxing Day Test, including umpire Darrell Hair calling Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing in 1995 and Shane Warne taking his 700th Test wicket in 2006 against England in his final MCG Test.
The 2009 Boxing Day Test will be held from December 26-30 between Australia and Pakistan.
View a snapshot of Boxing Day Test history.
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