Melbourne’s iconic MCG has come under scrutiny after the fourth Ashes Test ended in just two days. Despite England securing a rare win on Australian soil, the ICC has rated the pitch ‘Unsatisfactory’ due to extreme bowling dominance.
The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), which hosted the fourth Ashes Test, has been rated ‘Unsatisfactory’ by the International Cricket Council. The venue has received one demerit point under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.
The decision was delivered by Jeff Crowe of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, who cited the pitch’s excessive assistance to bowlers as the main reason.
Explaining the verdict, Crowe said the pitch heavily favoured bowlers throughout the match. A total of 20 wickets fell on the opening day, followed by 16 more on the second day.
Notably, no batter managed to reach a half-century in the entire Test. Under ICC guidelines, such conditions led to the pitch being classified as ‘Unsatisfactory.’
Match summary
England won the toss and chose to bowl, immediately putting Australia under pressure. Josh Tongue spearheaded the attack with a five-wicket haul of 5/45, as Australia were bowled out for 152.
England also struggled in the challenging conditions and were dismissed for 110 inside 30 overs, keeping the contest evenly poised.
Australia were forced to bat again on the opening day itself and were limited to 132 in their second innings. Travis Head’s 46 stood out as the highest individual score of the match.
The persistent movement off the pitch continued to trouble batters from both sides.
England clinch rare win
England chased down the target in 32.2 overs, losing six wickets along the way. Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, and Jacob Bethell played key roles in guiding the visitors home.
The match concluded with 36 wickets falling across just 142 overs, underlining the bowler-friendly nature of the surface.
While England celebrated their first Test win on Australian soil since 2011, Australia had already retained the Ashes. The hosts secured an unassailable 3–0 lead by winning the first three matches of the series.
The Ashes series will conclude with the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, scheduled to begin on January 4.
