Ashes 2025-26: ICC rates Melbourne pitch ‘unsatisfactory’ after Boxing Day Test ends in two days
The match finished well within two days, with England beating Australia by four wickets in what was the visiting side’s first Test win Down Under in 15 years. Australia now leads the series 3-1.
Under the ICC’s four-tier pitch rating system, “unsatisfactory” is the third ranking and characterises a pitch that “does not allow an even contest between bat and ball…by favouring the bowlers too much, with too many wicket-taking opportunities for either seam or spin”.
The Melbourne pitch had received the highest “very good” rating for the past three Boxing Day Tests.
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“We were disappointed for the fans holding tickets for days three and four, and also the millions of fans excited to watch the action in Australia and around the world, that the pitch did not provide the MCG’s customary balance between bat and ball”, James Allsopp, Chief of Cricket, Cricket Australia, said.
Earlier, the pitch curator had said that he was mortified with the way the pitch behaved.
“I was in a state of shock,” curator Matt Page had told reporters after the match. “I’ve never been involved in a Test match like it and hopefully never involved in a Test match like that again. It was a rollercoaster ride for two days to see everything unfold.”
Published on Dec 29, 2025
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