Match overview
Australia beat India by 184 runs in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 26 December 2024. Australia won the toss, chose to bat, and posted 474 in their first innings. India replied with 369, leaving themselves 105 runs adrift. Australia's second innings of 234 set India a fourth-innings target of 340. India were bowled out for 155. Pat Cummins was named Player of the Match. It was a result that followed a familiar script at the MCG: a sizeable first-innings lead, a competitive but insufficient Indian reply, and a final-day collapse under pressure.
The margin of 184 runs tells a cleaner story than the scorecards alone suggest. India's first-innings 369 was not a bad effort. Jasprit Bumrah's 9/156 across the match was exceptional. But the fourth-innings target of 340 at the MCG has historically been beyond most sides, and India fell 184 runs short of it. The match was effectively settled well before the final innings reached its conclusion.
Venue and conditions
The Melbourne Cricket Ground hosted its 155th Test match in this fixture. The venue's average first-innings Test score across that history is 205, which makes Australia's 474 a substantial overperformance of the baseline. When a first-innings total lands that far above the MCG average, the match tends to be settled in the first two days.
The toss has historically leaned towards fielding at the MCG, with 54 per cent of toss winners choosing to bowl. Australia bucked that trend here and it paid off. The pitch offered enough in the first session to keep the bowlers interested, but it flattened out as Australia built their total. By the time India batted, conditions had eased but a deficit of 105 runs on first innings left them in a position from which very few sides recover at this venue. The MCG's average second-innings score is 190 across all Tests; India's 155 in the fourth innings fell below even that modest benchmark.
How to watch
The Australia vs India Test series is live on Sky Sports Cricket in the UK. Matches are available to stream through Sky Go and NOW TV for those without a satellite subscription. The Boxing Day Test traditionally starts at 00:30 GMT in the UK due to the time difference with Melbourne, meaning fans on this side of the world face early morning starts or catch up via highlights.
BBC Test Match Special provides full ball-by-ball radio commentary throughout the series. TMS coverage is free to access via BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website, making it the most accessible option for UK fans who want live updates without a Sky subscription.
Recent form
Australia came into the Boxing Day Test with a mixed but encouraging run of results. They had won two consecutive Tests against Pakistan before this series, lost one of the first three Tests against India in 2024, and had a no-result to factor in as well. Three wins from five recent matches gave them enough confidence on home soil.
India's recent form told a similar story in reverse. Wins over South Africa in two consecutive Tests and a victory against Australia earlier in the same series showed their capacity to compete at the highest level. The challenge at Melbourne, as it has been throughout this series, was sustaining four innings of competitiveness against an Australian side that plays its best Test cricket at home. India will turn their attention to the remaining matches in the series with Bumrah's bowling form arguably the one consistent bright spot to carry forward.
