The Boxing Day Test finished in two days as 20 wickets fell on the first day and 16 on the second with England claiming the victory by four wickets.
The overwhelmingly bowler-friendly pitch has drawn criticism from former players and experts.
The decision to leave 10mm grass on the MCG deck generated massive sideways movement, making batting here a lottery. This is second instance of a test match ending in two days in this series with the opening test in Perth also finishing in two days.
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Former English slippers Michael Vaughan and Alastair Cook pointed out the ‘unfair contest’ between bat and ball.
“We’re always looking for a fair balance between bat and ball. I thought that was unfair for the batters,” Vaughan told BBC.
“The pitch has done plenty. There’s been plenty of movement out there. It’s not been easy for both sides but I don’t like seeing a pitch do so much.”
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Alastair Cook said it was “not a great test match wicket” as England were dismissed in just 29.5 overs.
“Unless this flattens on days two, three, four — if we get there — that was too heavily weighed in the bowlers’ favour,” Cook told TNT Sports. “I think it was an unfair contest. Could both sides have battled slightly better? Yes, but I was watching some of that bowling and I don’t know how you face that.”
Selective criticism
Kevin Pietersen and Dinesh Kartik pointed out the selective criticism of Indian tracks when spinners get wickets in a heap.
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“India always gets hammered when wickets fall like crazy on day 1 of a Test and so I hope that Australia gets the same scrutiny! Fair is fair!,” wrote former England skipper Pietersen on his ‘X’ account.
Karthik termed the pitch as ‘ordinary’ and said,” MCG have produced an ordinary pitch here. Can’t believe 2 out of the 4 ashes tests could end in 2 days. For all the hype, 4 ashes tests have happened in just 13 days.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra was more forthcoming in his views.
“Not a single over of spin in 1.5 days of a Test match. 27 wickets have fallen already. Imagine the meltdown if not a single over of pace was bowled for that long in the subcontinent,” wrote Chopra in social media accounts.
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CA calls it ‘bad for business’
Even Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg admitted that the Melbourne pitch was not a great advertisement for Test cricket, a format that already faces several other challenges.
“As mesmerising and fascinating and enjoyable as it was to watch as a fan, we want Test cricket clearly to go for longer. I didn’t sleep well last night, put it that way.
“A simple phrase I’d use is short Tests are bad for business. I can’t be much more blunt than that. So I would like to see a slightly broader balance between the bat and the ball,” Greenberg told SEN.
Australia lead the series 3-1 and will play the final test in Sydney starting on 4th January.
