The Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground ended in just two days, with England defeating Australia by four wickets on December 27. The match, a sell-out for all five scheduled days, finished inside six sessions, raising concerns about the pitch and batting quality.
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg expressed nervousness about another early finish, noting the financial impact on the organization, broadcasters, and partners. He remarked that the first two-day Ashes Test in 104 years occurred in Perth earlier in the series, hoping for a long wait before another such event.
England captain Ben Stokes criticized the surface, stating that a Boxing Day Test should not finish in less than two days. He suggested that a similar wicket outside Australia would face harsher reviews. Former England captain Michael Vaughan called the match 'not Test cricket,' while ex-spinner Phil Tufnell urged the ICC to rate the pitch 'poor.'
Australia captain Steve Smith acknowledged the pitch offered too much assistance to bowlers but also lamented his team's batting tactics. Former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie noted that many dismissals involved poor decision-making rather than pitch conditions, pointing out that batters often avoid practicing on challenging surfaces.
The ICC had rated the Perth pitch 'very good,' implying batters were at fault, but the MCG pitch drew widespread criticism. Former fast bowler Stuart Clark gave the pitch a 2/10, blaming a lack of resilience and adaptive techniques among modern batters.
