Melbourne Cricket Ground records in Tests: MCG Test bowling records and highest innings totals

First things first, any match being played in Melbourne this summer has to first take permission from the weather gods. As far as the same for the first day of the second Test match between Australia and South Africa is concerned, all the stakeholders can expect pretty much an uninterrupted day of play barring a brief period in the afternoon which consists of rain probability in single-digit figures according to AccuWeather.

As Test action returns to the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground for the customary Boxing Day Test, the venue will be hosting its eighth international match (in addition to three rain-abandoned ICC T20 World Cup 2022 matches) of 2022. MCG’s rich Test history of hosting 114 matches has witnessed hosts Australia participating on each occasion to win 65 and lose 32 matches over the years.

Set to partake in a Test match here after as many as 14 years, South Africa have won three and lost seven out of their 12 Tests at this venue. With no cricketer part of the current South African squad having played a Melbourne Test in the past, don’t be surprised due to their absence in the below mentioned records.

Melbourne Cricket Ground records in Tests

First five spots in the list of highest Test run-scorers at this stadium continue to be occupied by retired Australian cricketers namely Don Bradman (1,671), Ricky Ponting (1,338), Steve Waugh (1,284), Allan Border (1,272) and Greg Chappell (1,257). A list of best Test batters here among active cricketers is provided below:

Batter	Matches	Runs	Highest	Average	100	50
Steve Smith (AUS)	9	932	192	84.72	4	3
David Warner (AUS)	9	668	144	44.53	2	2
Usman Khawaja (AUS)	4	379	144	54.14	1	2
Ajinkya Rahane (IND)	3	369	147	73.8	2	0
Virat Kohli (IND)	3	316	169	52.66	1	2

Highest wicket-takers in Melbourne Tests are also retired Australian cricketers namely Denniss Lillee (82), Shane Warne (76), Hugh Trumble (46), Graham McKenzie (45) and Glenn McGrath (42). Active bowlers with most wickets in Melbourne Tests are:

Bowler	Matches	Wickets	Average	SR	5
Nathan Lyon (AUS)	11	37	31.83	61.4	1
Pat Cummins (AUS)	5	24	18.66	41.5	2
Mitchell Starc (AUS)	5	18	29.38	53.3	0
James Anderson (ENG)	4	17	20.47	52.7	0
Jasprit Bumrah (IND)	2	15	13.06	31.1	1

Highest innings totals in Melbourne Tests

Score	Overs	Team	Opposition	Year
624/8d	142	Australia	Pakistan	2016
604	140.5×8	Australia	England	1937
600	149.5×8	Australia	England	1925
589	190.5	England	Australia	1912
578	126.2	Australia	South Africa	1911

Considered as a batting surface in the recent years in spite of its latest Test being a three-day contest, MCG has witnessed batting teams touching the 600-run mark thrice and touching the 500-run mark 29 times in all these years.

England hold the record of the highest successful Test run-chase at this venue. In what remains the only successful 300+ run-chase in Melbourne Tests, it had been made possible after England chased down a 332-run target with three wickets in hand almost a century ago.