Google Doodle celebrates 140 years of Test cricket

Google Doodle celebrates 140 years of Test cricket

Kolkata: Google on Wednesday dedicated a Doodle to celebrate the 140th anniversary of official Test cricket, remembering the first Test match played between England and Australia in 1877.

The first official cricket Test match in history began on this day in 1877 between an established English team and a newly-formed Australian squad at the Melbourne Cricket ground (MCG). SEE SCORECARD

It finished in a 45-run win for Australia. The hosts batted first and the first ball was bowled by Alfred Shaw to Charles Bannerman, who went on to become the first centurion in Test by scoring 165 when he retired hurt with a right hand index finger injury.

England, however, squared the two-Test series by winning the next game at the same venue by four wickets.

Australia will be playing their 800th Test against India in the third match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series on Thursday at Ranchi. The four-match series is level at 1-1. Australia won the first match at Pune comfortably, but India bounced back to level the series at Bengaluru.