Saturday, March 29, 2025
Only 3 Captains Beat Australia in Boxing Day Test Over Last 15 Years—Ben Stokes Joins Elite Club with Kohli, Rahane
England captain Ben Stokes has achieved a rare feat, joining Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane in an exclusive list. Over the past 15 years, just three captains have defeated Australia in a Boxing Day Test match: Kohli, Rahane, and now Stokes.
On Saturday, December 27, Stokes-led England pulled off a stunning victory over Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The team won by 6 wickets on the second day of the Boxing Day Test, scripting history. This triumph marks England’s first Test win on Australian soil in 15 years, making it a memorable milestone.
With this historic success, Stokes entered a special club. In the last 15 years, only three captains have beaten Australia in the Boxing Day Test:
Virat Kohli (India) – 2018
Ajinkya Rahane (India) – 2020
Ben Stokes (England) – 2025
In 2018, under Kohli’s leadership, India crushed Australia by 137 runs in the Boxing Day Test, played from December 26-30. Australia’s previous loss in this fixture came in 2010 at Melbourne, when England defeated them by an innings and 157 runs.
After Kohli’s captaincy delivered the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a Boxing Day win, India toured Australia again in 2020. Kohli left after the first Test for personal reasons, handing the reins to Rahane. Under Rahane, India repeated the feat, beating Australia by 8 wickets in the Boxing Day Test from December 26-30, 2020.
Australia had won every Boxing Day Test since 2020, but Stokes’ England side ended that streak. Part of the Ashes series and played from December 26-30, 2025, the match concluded in just two days with England securing a 4-wicket victory.
