Both team captains express dissatisfaction with Melbourne pitch

It was a paradise for bowlers and a nightmare for batters. As the historic Boxing Day Test ended in just two days, the captains of both England and Australia have strongly criticized the pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Although England got a historic 4-wicket victory on Australian soil after almost 15 years, even English captain Ben Stokes himself has raised questions about the durability of the match.

20 wickets fell on the first day of the fourth Ashes Test. On the second day, 16 more wickets were lost and the entire match ended in 852 balls with only 36 wickets falling. England ended a long and a half-decade winning streak by defeating Australia by 4 wickets on their home ground. However, even after this thrilling victory, Ben Stokes did not hide his dissatisfaction with the wicket on the field.

After the match, Australian captain Steve Smith blamed the curators, saying, "I think the pitch was a little too supportive for the bowlers. It's unusual to take 36 wickets in two days. The pitch probably gave more turn and bounce than the curators wanted. If the grass had been reduced to 8 millimeters, it would have been a balanced match."

After the victory, Ben Stokes was also critical of the pitch. He said in clear terms, "It's not desirable that the Boxing Day Test was finished in less than two days. If it had been played on a wicket like this anywhere else in the world, it would have been on fire by now (there would have been widespread criticism)."