MCG to host Australia v England 150th anniversary Test

Australia scheme to observe nan 150th day of nan first-ever Test lucifer by playing England astatine nan aforesaid venue successful March 2027.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) played big to a single-innings lucifer from 15 to 19 March 1877, pinch Australia winning by 45 runs, earlier England won nan 2nd lucifer astatine nan aforesaid venue to necktie nan bid 1-1.

The 100-year day of nan inaugural Test was besides marked pinch a Test betwixt Australia and England astatine nan MCG successful 1977, pinch Australia again winning by 45 runs.

The MCG will proceed to big nan accepted Boxing Day Test while nan New Year's Test will stay astatine nan Sydney Cricket Ground - some done to 2030-31.

Cricket Australia (CA) besides confirmed that nan Adelaide Oval will big nan December 'Christmas Test' successful either day-night aliases time format and nan 'West Test' successful Perth, Western Australia, will beryllium Australia's opener for nan adjacent 3 years.

That intends nan adjacent men's Ashes successful 2025-26 will statesman astatine a venue different than nan Gabba successful Brisbane for nan first clip successful much than 4 decades, and it will beryllium nan first Ashes Test played astatine Perth's Optus Stadium.

"The 150th day Test lucifer astatine nan MCG successful March 2027 will beryllium a awesome ceremony of nan pinnacle format of nan crippled astatine 1 of nan world's awesome sporting arenas and we can't hold to big England connected that occasion," said CA's main executive Nick Hockley.

It could beryllium nan latest day successful a location summertime that a men's Test has been staged successful Australia since nan 1978-79 bid against Pakistan.

The 2026-27 play will beryllium nan first successful 50 years that nan Gabba will not big a Test.

The Queensland venue has been guaranteed games against India and England during nan adjacent 2 seasons but location is uncertainty complete its redevelopment earlier Brisbane hosts nan 2032 Olympics.

Perth's Optus Stadium holds 60,000 and has replaced nan Waca arsenic nan Western Australian superior city's premier cricket venue.

It was owed to big its first Ashes Test during nan 2021-22 bid but Covid-19 restrictions meant it had to beryllium moved to Hobart, Tasmania.