Nothing quite like the MCG magic
I WAS very lucky to call the mighty MCG my home ground and my back yard for more than 20 years.
To be an Australian playing a Boxing Day Test is amazing, and being a Victorian, well, that’s something absolutely amazing.
The MCG is one of two Test grounds that all players want to experience — the other is the hallowed turf at Lord’s because of its history and tradition, plus its unique slope. Every cricketer across the globe in their minds has played a game at the G, but so few get the chance to test their mettle for real.
Today, 22 men get that opportunity in what should be a cracking Test match.
I’ll be among the expected 90,000-100,000 on hand, commentating for Channel 9, to witness new history being made along with memories that will last forever.
Driving to the ground all the great times will come flooding back and will make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It happens every time.
As a player, the walk down the race and into the coliseum and the roar that always follows, it stirs something special inside.
Boxing Day is always the showpiece match of the summer. It’s the best-attended Test match anywhere in the world, between 250,000 to 300,000 fans will walk through Yarra Park and in through the turnstiles over the next five days.
The crowd is so passionate and the noise that echoes around the stands is hard to describe. It’s truly awesome.
Two Boxing Day Test memories stand out for me.
The first was in ’94 when I managed to take a hat-trick — my one and only hat-trick in any form of cricket — against England.
It was David Boon’s birthday and the “keg on legs” took an absolute screamer at bat pad to get rid of Devon Malcolm.
My other standout memory was my last ever Boxing Day Test, in 2006. It’s amazing how things pan out; if I’d taken one extra wicket in 16 summers I’d have had 700 Test wickets on the morning of the game, but I hadn’t so I was on 699. The scriptwriter was right on the job.
When I knocked over Andrew Strauss, the roar was the loudest I ever heard in any match I played in. Holding the ball up in front of 90,000 people cheering and chanting your name was a great moment.
Then at stumps, having taken a five-for on day one, it was highly emotional and is hard to beat as my favourite ever cricket day.
Today, it’s all to do for England. They need to get some pride back after a pretty disastrous tour.
I think they’re a better side than they’ve shown and they will be desperate to make amends.
I feel for Joe Root a little, it hasn’t been easy for him but he can hold his head high. He’ll be desperate to make a big score on such a mammoth stage and I do hope he makes a big 100.
The Aussies are 3-0 up, have the Ashes in their keeping and there’s no way they’ll be putting the feet up in this Test. They’ll be hungry for five-nil.
Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad have had a tough tour, and there is a bit of talk they should be dropped — I don’t agree as they have enough credits in the bank to play the next two Tests and can come good.
Broad has not bowled as well as he would have liked but he hasn’t had a lot of luck, either.
Similarly, Cook has been a bit stiff, I reckon. In Brisbane he got out on a hook shot to an unbelievable catch at fine leg and then in Perth fell to a super caught and bowled to Josh Hazlewood. So while he’s looked a little out of sorts, he has been a bit unlucky too.
A final note on the Australian selectors. Credit where credit’s due — they’ve aced it this series with gutsy calls on Tim Paine, Cameron Bancroft and the Marsh brothers.
We’re all quick to nail them when they get it wrong — and even before they get it wrong in some cases! — but a huge tick to Trevor Hohns, Greg Chappell, Darren Lehmann and Mark Waugh.