MELBOURNE: Australia will play England under lights at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Test cricket in 2027, it was announced on Tuesday.

The match, from March 11-15, will commem­orate the first ever Test, played between the two arch-rivals in Melbourne in 1877. It will be the first time the MCG has hosted a men’s day-night Test after a successful women’s Ashes pink ball clash at the venue earlier last month.

“The 150th Anniversary Test at the MCG will be one of the great cricket events,” said Cricket Australia newly-installed chief Todd Greenberg.

“Playing under lights will be a fantastic way to celebrate both our game’s rich heritage and Test cricket’s modern evolution.

“This season’s Ashes series will whet the appetite for this clash in exactly two years, and we look forward to celebrating this historic occasion further as it draws nearer,” he added.

Australia host England for five Tests starting in November this year.

The 150th Anniversary Test will follow Australia’s home five-Test series against India in 2027, making for a blockbuster summer. The Melbourne Cricket Ground was the venue for the 100th Centenary Test in 1977 where the Greg Chappell-led Australia beat Tony Greig’s England by 45 runs.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2025