While the first cricket at the MCG on Boxing Day Test took place in 1950, that was actually the third day of the match. The game started on December 22 and the players had Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off.

The first true Boxing Day Test, with the game starting at the MCG on December 26, was in 1968 when a captain’s knock of 205 set up an innings-victory for Australia against the West Indies.

It only became an annual affair in 1980 and we have had one every year since, apart from 1989 when, rather inexplicably, there was an ODI against Sri Lanka instead.

Here are five Boxing Day Tests that were absolute belters:

Australia v England, MCG, 1982 (England won by three runs)

Revenge for that 2006 mauling arrived the next time England went to the MCG, and it was the sweetest of presents for England supporters who stayed up late on Christmas Day to watch.

A draw at the ‘Gabba, a win for England at Adelaide and an Australia win in Perth meant that the series was beautifully poised at 1-1 entering this one. England took a decisive hold of the series on the first morning and never let go. By the end of the first day, Australia had been bowled out for 98 and England were 157-0 in reply.

It started poorly for England, with Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen both dropping Shane Watson early on in his innings, but then they clicked the switch. Chris Tremlett bowled a short one that Watson ballooned to Pietersen in the gully and England did not put another foot wrong.

England went on to make 513 in their only batting effort in the match, a mammoth first-innings lead of 415. Australia improved on their first dig, notching 258 in their second, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a huge England win that helped them to their first series win in Australia for 24 years.