The MCG pitch and the overall state of Test cricket are both facing fierce examinations after another two-day Ashes match concluded with a breakthrough England win on Saturday.
The tourists finally snapped an agonising 14-year wait for a Test match victory on Australian soil in a rapid fire match that featured just 141.2 total overs.
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Cricket Australia will be left counting the cost of the swift ending of a Boxing Day contest that would typically just be warming up on any other December 27.
A record 94,000 fans packed into the MCG for day one and another 92,000 turned up on day two, but the cavernous stadium will be empty from this point on.
Cricket.com.au’s Josh Schonafinger tweeted on Saturday afternoon there had only been three two-day Tests ever witnessed in Australia prior to this Ashes series.
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We’ve now had two in just over a month, with Australia’s eight-wicket win in Perth followed by this breakneck contest in Melbourne.
The poor batting performances from both teams, with neither scoring over 180 in any innings at the MCG, is rightly getting analysed.
But the grass-topped pitch has faced the most scrutiny and some comments from head curator Matt Page pre-match make for truly baffling reading.
Page spoke glowingly of last summer’s Boxing Day Test, which stretched into the final session on day five before Australia picked up seven Indian wickets to grab a famous win.
“It’s probably the best Test match I have been involved with,” Page told AAP.
“It was a fantastic Test match, so if we can replicate that this year that would be fantastic … we’ll see how it all pans out in coming days.”
Page then stated “we’ve sort of found a recipe that works here” and “we don’t see any reason why we would change that up”.
Unsure at the time how much grass would be left on the pitch, Page said “seven or eight” millimetres were presented to teams last year.
But 12 months on, a 10mm grass-top greeted the teams, reportedly in preparation for poor weather on day three and four that proved totally irrelevant.
Twenty wickets fell on day one for just the third time in an Ashes series and the first for over 120 years.
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg was asked on SEN if 20 wickets in a day of Test cricket were too many.
“Short answer to that from my opinion is yes, it is,” he said.
“As mesmerising and as fascinating and as enjoyable to watch as it was as a fan, we want Test cricket clearly to go for longer.
“The simple phrase I’d use is short Tests are bad for business. Can’t be much more blunt than that.”
Greenberg went on to point out the batters need to take some responsibility for the MCG outcome, but concluded “we’ve got some challenges”.
The knives were well and truly out during the carnage on day one.
Australia was dismissed for just 152 inside 46 overs.
After Will Jacks departed to leave the Poms 7/77 in reply, former England captain Michael Vaughan said on Kayo Sports: “It’s the extra bounce, the inside feather. So difficult to face.
“I have to say, for a first day wicket, this is shocking. It really is.”
The visitors eventually succumbed for 110 in just 29.5 overs, with Australia then rolled for 132 from 34.3 overs on day two.
Fox Sports commentator Warren Smith wrote on X: “In a series running short on total days of play – and the inherent unrealised revenue as a consequence – a Boxing Day Test pitch doing this much for the bowlers is hard to fathom. Obviously the head groundsman at the MCG never had to sell tickets or 30sec ads on TV.”
Veteran Channel 10 sports reporter Stephen Quartermain added: “I’m all for evening up bat vs ball in Test cricket. But this MCG pitch is out of order.”
There is no doubt, however, those expected to score runs also need to take a good, hard look at their techniques.
Not a single half-century was scored in this Test match, with Travis Head’s 46 in Australia’s second innings the closest anyone came.
Players repeatedly flashed at balls well outside off stump or lost their heads, when patience was patently being called for on a green-top wicket.
Ex-Aussie quick Jason Gillespie summed up his feelings on X, writing: “Yes, the surface at the MCG has assisted the seamers too much.
“However, there has been some pretty ordinary technical batting from both sides as well.”
Vaughan was also left scratching his head during England’s run chase when Brydon Carse – who batted at No. 10 in the first innings – was sent out at first drop.
The pace bowler headed to the middle following the loss of Ben Duckett and signalled his intent by attempting to smash the first ball he faced.
“Well they’ve had Scott Boland open the batting for Australia, Brydon Carse is batting three,” Vaughan on Kayo Sports’ live Ashes coverage.
“What is going on?” Mark Waugh asked.
“Test cricket is gone,” Vaughan added.
Predictably Carse only lasted for eight balls, but the shackles largely appeared to be off for the Poms, who wheeled out the sort of ramp shots and lusty heaves in their successful run chase that would have made Sam Konstas proud.
The end result was a Test match that finished far too quickly.
Anyone with a day three ticket for Perth or Melbourne would be left fuming and the SCG must be nervously looking over its shoulder.
Kerry O’Keeffe joked on Kayo Sports that Page wouldn’t be winning Cricket Australia’s employee of the year for 2025.
Kiwi sports journo Jason Pine quipped: “Thoughts and prayers with Cricket Australia’s finance team.”
Refunds for days three and four are expected to cost CA over $10 million.
But if Australian officials can’t find a way to extend these Test matches – with interest in attending this summer’s Ashes contests at an all-time high leading in – the coffers will be bare moving forward.
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