MCC tour of Australia in 1974–75 with 83/5 before the MCC team rushed to their hotel to see the Rumble in the Jungle between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. John Edrich led the team again against the 1973-74 Sheffield Shield champions Victoria under Ian Redpath, who won the toss and chose to bat. The MCG pitch proved to be as slow and flat at the Adelaide Oval and Victoria struggled to make 293/8 in 6½ hours. The wickets were shared around the English bowlers who struggled to dismiss the tailenders Ray Bright (53), Max Walker (23 not out) and Alan Thomson (11 not out), so in
Muhammad Ali corner, Ali retreated to the ropes and invited Foreman to hit him while covering up, clinching and counter-punching, all while verbally taunting Foreman. The move, which would later become known as the "Rope-a-dope", so violated conventional boxing wisdom—letting one of the hardest hitters in boxing strike at will—that at ringside writer George Plimpton thought the fight had to be fixed. Foreman, increasingly angered, threw punches that were deflected and did not land squarely. Midway through the fight, as Foreman began tiring, Ali countered more frequently and effectively with punches and flurries, which electrified the pro-Ali crowd. In the eighth round,