Australia will go into the fourth Test against India with a quest to keep their strong record at the Melbourne Cricket Ground going. The record isn’t as impressive and daunting for the opposition as the Gabba’s, but the venue has seen Australia win nearly three in five matches.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy stands at 1-1 after India had won the opening Test, at Perth, by 295 runs before Australia roared back to clinch the pink-ball Test in Adelaide by 10 runs. The third Test, at the Gabba in Brisbane, was washed out and finished as a draw.
For both these teams, a result from the remaining two tests, at the MCG and Sydney Cricket Ground, is important for their hopes of playing the World Test Championship (WTC) final. As things stand, that race is being won by South Africa and Australia.
Australia’s record at MCG
Australia have played 116 matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, winning 67 and losing 32. The rest, 17, finished in draws. That makes it a win-loss record of 2.093 and a winning rate of 57.75%.
Matches: 116
Won: 67
Lost: 32
Draw: 17
W/L: 2.093
Average: 32.92
RPO: 2.83
Highest score: 624
Lowest score: 83
Last 5 matches:
beat Pakistan by 79 runs in 2023
beat South Africa by innings and 182 runs in 2022
beat England by innings and 14 runs in 2021
lost to India by 8-wickets in 2020
beat New Zealand by 247 runs in 2019
Australia’s highest score at the MCG came against Pakistan in 2016 when centuries from David Warner (144) and Stvee Smith (165*) coupled with a blistering knock of 84-from-91 by Mitchell Starc saw the hosts reach 624 and win by innings and 18 runs.
At the other end, Australia’s lowest score at the MCG came against India in 1981. With only three of Australia’s batters reaching double digits, they were bowled out for 83 runs. Kapil Dev took a fifer with two each for Karsan Ghavri and Dilip Joshi.
Australia’s milestone makers at MCG
Legendary Sir Don Bradman has the most runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He scored 1671 runs at the venue from 11 matches, including nine centuries and three fifties, for an average of 128.53.
Ricky Ponting (1338 runs), Steve Waugh (1284), Allan Border (1272) and Greg Chappell (1257) round off the top-five. The first non-Australian player on the list is England’s Jack Hobbs who hit 1178 runs at this iconic stadium.
On the bowling front, Dennis Lillee has enjoyed the most success at this ground. He picked up 82 wickets at the MCg during his storied career, including seven fifers and four 10-wicket hauls at an average of 21.92.
Shane Warne (56 wickets), Hugh Trumble (46), Graham McKenzie (45) and Nathan Lyon (45*) round off the top-five. Sydney Barnes is the first non-Australian on the list with 35 scalps at the MCG.
