Melbourne: A day before India take on Australia in what has been one of the most fiercely contested rivalries over the years, Test cricket celebrated its 140th anniversary.
The first-ever Test match was played on March 15, 1877 between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Australia won the four-day affair, which ended on March 19, by 45 runs. The fourth day, March 18, was a rest day. Australian opener Charles Bannerman was the scorer of the first run and subsequently the first hundred in the longest and most intriguing version of the gentleman’s game.
It was a well-oiled English team that took on a relatively raw Australian squad who defied odds to turn the tables on their more accomplished counterparts. (IANS)
