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20 wickets tumbled: List of all records broken on Day 1 of Australia-England MCG Test

Anurag Dasgupta

All records tumbled on Boxing Day MCG Test [Source: AFP Photo] All records tumbled on Boxing Day MCG Test [Source: AFP Photo]

Day 1 of the Melbourne Test between Australia and England turned out to be a nightmare for the batters as 20 wickets fell on the opening day, and records tumbled as the bowlers enjoyed a fruitful Boxing Day outing at the spicy MCG wicket. Bowlers from both sides delivered the goods as the MCG track became difficult for the batters.

20 wickets falling on Day 1 was the joint third-most to fall on Day 1 of an Ashes Test match, and the most between the two teams post the 1909 Old Trafford Test match. This was also the joint third-highest wicket-tally on the opening day of a Test match in Australia as batters failed to read the surface and crumbled against some hostile bowling.

All other records that tumbled on Day 1 of MCG Test

Most wickets in a day’s play at MCG

This was the joint second-most wickets to fell on Day 1 of an Ashes Test at MCG. The highest was 25 wickets, and the incident happened during the 1901/02 Ashes series. The Australia vs South Africa Test in the 1931/32 series also saw 20 wickets tumbled on Day 1, and the ongoing Boxing-Day match at the MCG once again witnessed 20 scalps on the opening day.

Fourth-lowest score for Australia in home Ashes post 2000

Australia were bundled out for a paltry 152 in their first innings and since 2000, this was their fourth-lowest Ashes total at home. They scored 98 at the same venue during the 2010/11 series and registered 132 in Perth, last month, and 138 in Adelaide during the 2017/18 Ashes.

England’s third lowest total in away Tests since 2000

This was England's third-lowest away Ashes total since 2000. They got bundled out for 68 at the same venue in 2021, and 79 at the Gabba during the 2002 tour.

Least balls faced by both teams combined in first two innings of an Ashes Test

Both England and Australia combined played 450 deliveries (75.1 overs), and this was the second-lowest tally in the history of the Ashes. During the 1901/02 MCG Test, the two sides conbined faced 287 balls in their first innings and this still stands as the fewest deliveries tackled.

Smith goes past Dravid’s catching tally

Steve Smith surpassed Rahul Dravid and now sits at the second place in the list of most catches taken in Test cricket. Joe Root, the England player, has 214 catches to his name, while Smith is only two behind with 212 grabs as he eclipsed Dravid, who had 210.