Former England captain Nasser Hussain criticised the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) pitch for the fourth Ashes Test, calling it “farcical at times” after the match concluded in just two days. Hussain and Michael
Atherton joined the widespread criticism following England’s four-wicket win, which marked their first Test victory in Australia in 14 years.
The 10mm of grass left on the pitch led to 36 wickets falling within six sessions. England bowled Australia out for 132 in their second innings, setting a chase of 175, which they achieved after losing six wickets.
“I don’t think the great Shane Warne would have thought that was acceptable, and I don’t think it’s acceptable not having spin at all, and there being so much movement in the surface. It was farcical at times. That can be thrilling, but there are traditionalists who like the ebbs and flows and the slow build. This was not slow, it was in fast-forward, and we have enough of that whether through T10, T20, The Hundred,”
The seamers bowled all 142 overs on the green pitch, where no batter managed to score a fifty. This is expected to cost Cricket Australia (CA) millions in ticket refunds and lost revenue from merchandise, food, and drink sales.
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Atherton described the MCG pitch as making for an unsatisfactory spectacle. He noted, “”There was not an over of spin bowled in the game, and you have 90,000 people who have got tickets for day three, so this is going to cost Cricket Australia an absolute bomb. You also had players saying the only way to play on the pitch is in an unorthodox manner, so for all kinds of reasons, it is an unsatisfactory feeling.”
Comparing this MCG Test to sub-continent matches that end quickly due to overly spin-friendly conditions, Atherton said, “I liken it to one of the rank turners we have seen in Asia in recent years, where the pitch spins from the start. It is a fair contest in that both sides have an even chance, but it doesn’t necessarily allow for the whole range of skills to show.
“England supporters will clearly be thrilled they have seen a win, and so will England players, but people watching will be thinking, ‘what kind of Test cricket have I seen?’ You come to watch a wide variety of skills, and the game develops over a period of time. You are going to get extreme conditions from time to time, but we have had two now in this series, and I don’t think we want to see this too frequently,” he concluded.
(With inputs from Agencies)
