Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch curator Matthew Page said he was in a “state of shock” after the Boxing Day Ashes Test lasted just two days and vowed to “get it right next year”.
On a surface boasting 10mm of grass, 36 wickets fell in 142 overs, with neither England nor Australia passing 200 runs in the match, with the highest individual score for either side being home opener Travis Head’s 46 in his side’s second innings.
The initial completion is expected to cost Cricket Australia £5 million, with Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg saying a short Test after a 20-ticket opening date would be “bad for business”.
“We’re obviously really disappointed to be gone for two days. I was shocked after the first day,” Page told reporters on Sunday.
“To see everything that happened in a day and take 20 wickets, I have never been in a Test match like this and hopefully I will never be in a Test match like this again.
“It was like a rollercoaster ride watching it all unfold over two days. There was definitely a lot of noise outside.
“I personally don’t read the newspaper or watch the news, but we know this didn’t go as we planned.”
‘The test was fascinating, but it didn’t last long.’
Page was hired in the aftermath of the Boer draw in the 2017/18 Ashes Test at the MCG when England opener Sir Alastair Cook was bowled out for 244 after batting for over 10 hours on a lifeless surface.
This year’s MCG deck certainly provided thrilling viewing, but it also drew criticism from England captain Ben Stokes and Australian representative Steve Smith, Cook and other former players.
“Our problems here with pitches deteriorating and being very flat are well documented and we are very aware of that,” Page said.
“We’ve built a captivating test, but it won’t be long before we take ownership of it. We’ll learn from it, we’ll grow from it, and we’ll work to get it right next year.”
Harry Brook’s 41 runs in his first innings was England’s highest individual score in a remarkable Boxing Day Test.
The International Cricket Council is yet to release a pitch report but has rated the track at Optus Stadium as ‘very good’ after two days in the series opener in Perth last month.
England’s four-wicket win in Melbourne reduced the series deficit to 3-1 ahead of the final Test in Sydney on Sunday, January 4.
‘It’s bad for business and it’s ridiculous’ – what did people say about the crazy fixtures at the MCG?
Cricket Australia CEO Greenberg said: sen radio Before day two: “The simple expression I like to use is that short tests are bad for business. It couldn’t be more blunt.
“Historically, we have taken a hands-off approach to all wicket preparations, but when you look at the impact it has on the sport, especially commercially, there is no reason not to be more involved.”
Travis Head’s 46 home runs in two innings is the highest score in a Test at the MCG.
While spin bowling is not visible at all in the game, sky sportsNasser Hussain said: “The great Shane Warne wouldn’t have thought that was acceptable. I don’t think there’s any spin at all and too much movement on the surface.”
“It was comical at times. It could be thrilling, but there are traditionalists who like the ebb and the slow build. This was fast-forward, not slow, and we’ve had plenty of that through the T10s, T20s and The Hundred.”
Hussein’s associates sky sports Expert Michael Atherton said of the surface: “It was fair to both sides in the sense that it wasn’t dangerous and didn’t change. It was a penalty shoot-out on a difficult pitch, but it was unsatisfactory in terms of spectacle.”
“You can come and see different skills and how the game develops over a period of time. Sometimes you will face extreme situations, but we have now had two (two-day Tests) in this series and I don’t think you want to see this too often.”
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England captain Ben Stokes has given his thoughts on the ‘tricky’ pitch at the MCG after his side’s two-day win.
Stokes added: “To be brutally honest, that’s not the case with a Boxing Day Test match – you don’t want it to be over in two days.
Stokes went on to say, “I’m sure there would be hell out there anywhere else in the world,” but when asked by reporters if he was referring to Asian pitches, which can spin tremendously, he added, “That’s your comment, not mine.”
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Steve Smith reflects on Australia’s loss to England in Melbourne.
Australia captain Smith said: “I think the pitch was too big. When you look at 30-odd wickets over two days, it’s probably too much. The grass could be brought down from 10mm to 8mm.”
“It would have been nice if it had been a little longer so we could have entertained the fans more, but we couldn’t.”
Ashes series 2025-26 in Australia
Australia leads the five-game series 3-1.
