Growing up in the late ‘70s in Rairangpur—my sleepy little home town in the easten Indian state of Odisha—I would wake up very early to catch live cricket commentary on my father’s radio whenever India would tour Australia. Hanging on to every word of Richie Benaud and Bill Lawry wafting through the radio—I would draw my own imagination of cricket being played in a far-off magical land! In the later years, live telecast on television from Down Under further added to the aura of Australian cricket.
It was, therefore, nothing short of a long-overdue pilgrimage to visit the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground MCG to watch the Boxing Day match of the Border-Gavaskar (BGT) India-Australia Test series. No words can justifiably describe the experience, hence let me just say—it was simply mesmerising!
Of course, the boisterous Indian fans outnumbered the locals. The match broke all attendance records!! Imagine 74,362 fans coming through the gates on the last day, taking the tally of overall attendance spread over the five days to 373,691, breaking the previous record of 350,534 set in 1937.
I sat there, totally overwhelmed by the historic significance of the place—it’s the same ground that hosted the first ever Test Match and the first One-Day International (ODI), played between England and Australia in 1877 and 1971 respectively. It also hosted two cricket World Cup finals—in 1992 and 2015. Beyond cricket, it was the main venue of the 1956 Summer Olympics and 2006 Commonwealth Games.
As per recorded history, opened in 1853, the MCG—situated in the beautiful Yarra Park—hosted the first cricket match on 30 September 1854!
It is the same ground that has seen legends of the game script historic performances over the years—Bill Ponsford, Sir Don Bradman, Shane Warne, Dennis Lillie, and many more.
If being at the MCG on the Boxing Day was a pilgrimage, the most enjoyable was day three. A gentleman sitting next to me on the train to Jolimont MCG station that day cautioned me that the match could very well be over on the day itself!
“A couple of early wickets and we can finish off the game today,” he said in typical Aussie humour. It wasn’t to be, as Nitish Kumar Reddy played an innings that is going to be remembered for a very long time. It was quite heart-touching to see his father getting overwhelmed with emotion at his young son’s feat. Demonstrating a spirit of sportsmanship, a bunch of Australian spectators sitting near me also doffed their hats as Reddy walked off the ground with an unbeaten maiden century at the end of the third day.
This is the “I was there” kind of tale that one would reserve for the grandkids. Images such as these, and that of the sublime knocks by Yashasvi Jaiswal in both the innings, the audacious batting by debutant Sam Konstas and the half century by Washington Sunder in the first innings and above all, the lion-hearted bowling by Jaspreet Bumrah—are going to last with me forever! The match could very well have been over within three days as predicted by my co-passenger on the train, had it not been for these guys.
An Indian win surely would have been the proverbial icing on the cake; and yet, as I walked out of the stadium at the fall of Jaiswal’s wicket in the final session of the fifth day, I carry back lovely memories with me. As legendary sports writer Greg Baum of The Age newspaper once said about the MCG, it’s “a shrine, a citadel, a landmark, a totem!”
In between, I also managed a trip to the Rod Laver Arena—a short walk by the Yarra river from the MCG! The centre court was not open for visitors as it was getting ready for the Australian Open 2025 starting from 12 January, but the other courts were open for a look-around!
The year 2024 was all about positive change and seeking the new. As I bid adieu to an eventful and defining year, I remain eternally grateful for the blessings of the elders and the grace of God Almighty, and the enduring love and affection of all my friends.
Wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year filled with peace and love!
Bharatendu Kabi is a former journalist and Mumbai-based Communication specialist.
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