KL Rahul chases rare hat-trick in IND vs AUS Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, a feat Virat Kohli is unlikely to match

No other Indian batter in the current batch possess as much records as Virat Kohli on Australian soil. With 1,478 runs in 16 matches, including seven hundreds, the former India captain has proved to be a run-machine against some of the mighty Australian attacks over the last decade. However, there is one record that Kohli is unlikely to claim or match, which fellow teammate KL Rahul possesses, especially if Boxing Day Tests are to be considered.

Kohli has played six Boxing Day Tests, scoring 540 runs, including one hundred. Rahul, on the other hand, has played three Boxing Tests, including two hundreds. With 235 runs in three Tests, Rahul is so far the best Indian batter in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). Provided he manages his second Test ton on Australian soil in the fourth game of the series, the right-hander will become the first Indian batter to score three Boxing Day Test hundreds.

Rahul made his India debut in Australia in 2014 on a Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), scoring three and one. However, he made a roaring comeback in the following Test in Sydney with his maiden international ton.

Since then, Rahul played two other Boxing Days Tests, both against South Africa. He scored 123 in Centurion in 2021 before amassing 101 at the same venue two years later. With India going to play the fourth Test in Melbourne from December 26, the stylish India opener will be eager to make his second Test at the MCG count.

Virat Kohli's record at Boxing Day Tests

Kohli's only Boxing Day Test hundred came against Australia at the MCG in 2014 when he scored 169 in a losing cause. He had also scored 54 in the second innings of the same Test. The former India skipper made his MCG debut in 2011, registering a duck and 11. In his second Boxing Day Test, Kohli managed 57 against South Africa in Durban two years later.

After 2014, Kohli played a Boxing Day Test in 2018 against Australia with 82 and a duck. Three years later, Kohli notched up 53 against the Proteas in Centurion. He last played a Boxing Day Test in 2023, scoring 32 and 76 against South Africa. With age by his side, Kohli is in the twilight of his career and one still doesn't know whether Kohli will continue in the longest format of the game in the next couple of years.   

The India vs Australia Boxing Day Test starts on December 26. The five-match series is locked at 1-1 after three Tests. While India won the first game in Perth, Australia won the second in Adelaide. The third Test in Brisbane ended in a draw.