Final result
Australia won by 184 runs
Player of the match: PJ Cummins
Result · Test Cricket
Australia vs India Cricket
Result · Test Cricket
Venue par · 205Chase success · 58%POTM · PJ Cummins
Match preview & overview
Australia beat India by 184 runs in Boxing Day Test at the MCG
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.
Pitch report & venue insights
Melbourne Cricket Ground — 155-match sample
Aggregate conditions from 2002–2025. Numbers that tend to decide matches at this ground — par score, chase success, powerplay averages and toss bias.
155
T20 matches hosted
205
Avg 1st-innings score
190
Avg 2nd-innings score
58%
Chase success rate
38
Avg powerplay runs
57%
Toss-field rate
Key talking points
Moments the match hinged on
Headline angle
Australia's first innings 474 set the tone
Winning the toss and choosing to bat, Australia built a first-innings total of 474. That gave them a platform the rest of the match never really moved away from. A lead of 105 runs after the first exchange proved decisive.
Angle 02
India's 369 kept them in the game. Briefly
Angle 03
PJ Cummins took Player of the Match honours
Angle 04
India folded for 155 chasing 340
Angle 05
Series context: closely matched sides over 171 meetings
Betting & analytical angles
Angles the data surfaced
- In completed Tests at the MCG where the first-innings margin exceeds 100 runs, the team batting first has historically held a strong advantage; first-innings total markets may carry more signal than outright result lines in future fixtures here.
- Jasprit Bumrah's match figures of 9/156 suggest top bowler markets for India could be of interest even in losing causes, given his consistency at this venue across two separate Boxing Day Tests.
- The MCG's average first-innings Test score across 155 matches is 205; Australia's 474 significantly exceeded that baseline, which tends to move the match away from toss and conditions-based lines.
- Fourth-innings chases at the MCG succeed at a 56 per cent rate across formats, but Test-specific fourth-innings targets above 300 have historically proven difficult regardless of venue; this context is worth bearing in mind for future fixture markets.
For editorial context only. Not a forecast and not betting advice. 18+ only, please gamble responsibly.
Frequently asked
Questions about Australia vs India Cricket
Who won the Australia vs India Boxing Day Test 2024?
Australia won by 184 runs. They posted 474 in the first innings and 234 in the third, setting India a target of 340. India were bowled out for 155 in the fourth innings.
Who was Player of the Match in the MCG Boxing Day Test 2024?
Pat Cummins (PJ Cummins) was named Player of the Match. Cummins has now delivered standout Boxing Day performances at the MCG in both 2023 and 2024.
What were Jasprit Bumrah's figures in the Boxing Day Test 2024?
Bumrah took 9 wickets for 156 runs across 53.3 overs in the match. It is the second time he has taken 9 wickets in a Boxing Day Test at the MCG, having taken 9/86 in 2018.
Where to watch the Australia vs India Test series in the UK?
The Australia vs India Test series is broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket in the UK. It is available to stream via Sky Go and NOW TV. BBC Test Match Special provides ball-by-ball radio commentary throughout the series.
What is the head-to-head record between Australia and India in Tests?
Across all formats, Australia and India have met 171 times. India lead 75 wins to Australia's 73, with 23 no-results. The two sides are historically among the most evenly matched in international cricket.
What is the Melbourne Cricket Ground's average first-innings Test score?
Across 155 matches at the MCG, the average first-innings score is 205. Australia's 474 in this match was well above that figure, which proved a significant factor in the result.
Photo credits (3)
- Pat Cummins — photo by SirWellsy99, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
- Jasprit Bumrah — photo by Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · source
- Virat Kohli — photo by Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · source