The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is one of the famous venues in world cricket. It has made itself a name thanks to its glorious history and, of course, the vast capacity.
The MCG has been hosting international cricket since 1877, the year when it staged the first-ever Test match. Since then, the venue has hosted close to 300 international fixtures.
Although T20I matches don’t happen regularly, Tests and ODIs are pretty constant. The annual Boxing Day Test played here attracts a lot of attention from all over the world.
That said, take a look at the Melbourne Cricket Ground’s records and stats in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is.
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne: Venue Details
| Location | East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Opened | 1853 |
| Capacity | 100,024 |
| Bowling Ends | Members End, Shane Warne Stand End |
| Floodlights | Yes |
| Home to | Australia, Victoria, Melbourne Stars |
| First International Match | Australia vs England, Test – 15-19 March 1977 |
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne: Test Stats
| Matches Played | 119 |
| Matches Won Batting First | 58 |
| Matches Won Batting Second | 43 |
| Matches Tied | 0 |
| Matches Drawn | 17 |
| Highest Individual Score | 307 by Bob Cowper (Australia) vs England |
| Best Bowling Figures | 9/86 by Sarfraz Nawaz (Pakistan) vs Australia |
| Highest Team Total | 624/8d by Australia vs Pakistan |
| Lowest Team Total | 36 by South Africa vs Australia |
| Average First Innings Score | 307 |
MCG is among those few venues that have hosted more than 100 Tests. The competitive nature of the surface allows an intense red-ball contest here.
Teams often battle it out over five days, with excellent conditions for batting, while fast bowlers also find enough bounce and pace on offer. Toss doesn’t have a major say here, though batting first might have some advantage.
Teams have put up totals above 300 quite often in the first innings, with teams batting second also finding enough support to go past the mark.
Also Read:- Most Beautiful Cricket Stadiums in the World
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne: ODI Stats
| Matches Played | 161 |
| Matches Won Batting First | 78 |
| Matches Won Batting Second | 78 |
| Matches Tied | 2 |
| Matches with No Result | 3 |
| Highest Individual Score | 180 by Jason Roy (England) vs Australia |
| Best Bowling Figures | 6/42 by Ajit Agarkar (India) vs Australia |
| Highest Team Total | 355/5 by Australia vs England |
| Lowest Team Total | 94 by England vs Australia |
| Average First Innings Score | 221 |
Melbourne has hosted more than 150 ODIs. Its balanced surface provides equal opportunities to teams, be it batting first or second.
MCG isn’t particularly a high-scoring venue in ODIs. Most of the matches have seen scores between 250 and 270, with anything above it almost a sure shot chance at winning. Scoring above 300 is definitely a secure total here, with only one instance of a team chasing a 300-plus target.
The genuine bounce offered by the pitch helps pacers unsettle batters early on. But as the pitch wears on, stroke-making becomes slightly easier.
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne: T20I Stats
| Matches Played | 28 |
| Matches Won Batting First | 11 |
| Matches Won Batting Second | 16 |
| Matches Tied | 0 |
| Matches with No Result | 1 |
| Highest Individual Score | 89 by David Warner (Australia) vs South Africa |
| Best Bowling Figures | 4/30 by Josh Hazlewood (Australia) vs England |
| Highest Team Total | 186/5 by India vs Zimbabwe |
| Lowest Team Total | 74 by India vs Australia |
| Average First Innings Score | 144 |
Batting second might be advantageous at the MCG in T20Is. But teams need to keep the opponent under 170. Anything above 180, and the chase becomes slightly tough.
With a balanced pitch on offer, the venue hasn’t seen a lot of high-scoring T20I matches. A lot of the matches have seen scores between 130 and 170, which can produce competitive games.
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne: Memorable Records
- The venue hosted the first-ever Test match played between Australia and England back in 1877.
- Australia and England also played the first-ever ODI match here in 1971.
- Australia’s Charles Bannerman scored the first-ever Test century in Melbourne – 165 vs England, 1877.
- MCG has recorded the largest crowd for an ODI match – 93,013 for the Australia vs New Zealand 2015 World Cup Final.
- Victoria scored the highest total in a first-class match here – 1107 vs New South Wales, 1926.
Read Also:- Sydney Cricket Ground Records and Stats
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne: Upcoming Matches
| Date | Match | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|
| October 31, 2025 | Australia vs India, 2nd T20I | 1:45 PM |
| December 26-20, 2025 | Australia vs England, 4th Test | 5:00 AM |
