4th Ashes Test: Australia v England @ MCG Dec 26-30, 2025

[Fangs]

Mark Waugh is always the first to say the players bat poorly on decks that do a bit.

What was his opinion? My memory from commentary was that he wasn't impressed with the deck.

 

[mozza91]

The pitch certainly favoured the bowlers and probably abit too much but it was hardly unplayable. Lack of discipline and poor shot selection was as responsible for the low totals as the wicket.

 

[Red&BlackBear]

Was a 250 pitch and that's ok sometimes. Sure the balance was tipped towards the bowlers but not to the degree that people are carrying on about.

Agreed.

Out of the 36 wickets - maybe 2 or 3 were from genuine unplayable deliveries bowled after some previous pressure was applied.

The rest of the wickets were from insipid batting and putrid shot selection.

 

[Canard]

From September 2026, Australia is about to play 20 Tests in 10 months.

So I don't think more long form cricket is the issue.

 

[Marshall_magic]

36 wickets falling in under 2 days is not just because of "technique".

Both teams getting run through in a day is usually a sign it’s a poor pitch.

It would have happened again on day 2 had a total not been reached. Pretty damning indictment on that wicket.

 

[Marshall_magic]

- Stokes on MCG pitch

What a moron. So far he’s only lost 3 tests on coin tosses and won 1 because of curator. Biggest muppet in sports in living memory.

He’s not wrong about the pitch.

 

[RL The greatest game]

CA need to grow a spine and tell vicky kicky house that it doesn't want any more drop in wickets on test grounds.
We didn't have them years ago so why have them now?

 

[undertaker]

The pitch certainly favoured the bowlers and probably abit too much but it was hardly unplayable. Lack of discipline and poor shot selection was as responsible for the low totals as the wicket.

This.

The pitch for the two-day test vs. South Africa at the Gabba in 2022 was more difficult to bat on

Numerous unplayable deliveries from start to finish, most notably the one that got Mitchell Starc his 300th test wicket.

Had South Africa scored at least another 50 more runs or finished with a 2nd innings lead of close to 100, it was definitely game on. The Aussie batsmen were in disarray during the run chase. 19 of the 35 runs in the 4th innings were extras.

 

[Canard]

CA need to grow a spine and tell vicky kicky house that it doesn't want any more drop in wickets on test grounds.
We didn't have them years ago so why have them now?

Given there is one test a year at the venue that about as likely (or financially viable) as a stable Tigers board

 

[simmo1]

This.

The pitch for the two-day test vs. South Africa at the Gabba in 2022 was more difficult to bat on

Numerous unplayable deliveries from start to finish, most notably the one that got Mitchell Starc his 300th test wicket.

Had South Africa scored at least another 50 more runs or finished with a 2nd innings lead of close to 100, it was definitely game on. The Aussie batsmen were in disarray during the run chase. 19 of the 35 runs in the 4th innings were extras.

That pitch was also a shocker and I'll bet anything if you dig up that GameDay thread LU was saying it was just bad batting.

 

[DJDL]

Greg Chappell telling it like it is.

 

[Bazal]

Greg Chappell telling it like it is.

Weirdly spot on for a Chappell.

Although written with as much unnecessary fluff as you'd expect.

I think the ridiculous thing is that it seems difficult for many, here and elsewhere, to understand that the pitch can be lower quality and also the batting can be too. It's not one or the other.

The pitch wasn't some horrific green mamba where blokes were risking life, limb, and career just by walking out like many have said. It wasn't a disgrace, or a shocker, or unfit for cricket which have all been thrown around. It was just not really good enough.

The point is that if just not really good enough is too hard for batting sides to even get to 200, you can probably blame the batsmen just as much as you blame the pitch. They were shitting themselves out there.

I think the ICC have rated it unsatisfactory? I don't disagree with that. I think it probably would have got to satisfactory of the bats had any balls and we saw it on day three and four, but we didn't and that's hardly a ringing endorsement anyway.

It is interesting though that Perth got very good, but that test was actually over faster...

 

[Chins]

Weirdly spot on for a Chappell.

Although written with as much unnecessary fluff as you'd expect.

I think the ridiculous thing is that it seems difficult for many, here and elsewhere, to understand that the pitch can be lower quality and also the batting can be too. It's not one or the other.

The pitch wasn't some horrific green mamba where blokes were risking life, limb, and career just by walking out like many have said. It wasn't a disgrace, or a shocker, or unfit for cricket which have all been thrown around. It was just not really good enough.

The point is that if just not really good enough is too hard for batting sides to even get to 200, you can probably blame the batsmen just as much as you blame the pitch. They were shitting themselves out there.

I think the ICC have rated it unsatisfactory? I don't disagree with that. I think it probably would have got to satisfactory of the bats had any balls and we saw it on day three and four, but we didn't and that's hardly a ringing endorsement anyway.

It is interesting though that Perth got very good, but that test was actually over faster...

A man who understands the sport, a fantastic post.

 

[Front-rower2]

Toddy and the media companies don’t give a stuff about the game. It’s all about the lost money, not the pathetic performances dished out by the players.

 

[Front-rower2]

I actually thought it was downright disgusting that they dragged the curator out to a media conference. Poor bloke was on a hiding to nothing. He should have went into intricate details around curating and bored them all to death.

 

[Twizzle]

Toddy and the media companies don’t give a stuff about the game. It’s all about the lost money, not the pathetic performances dished out by the players.

I think he does give a stuff about the game, but it's his job to give a stuff about the finances also.

 

[Front-rower2]

I think he does give a stuff about the game, but it's his job to give a stuff about the finances also.

And pinning his hope on every test going for 5 days is unrealistic. He has already said he wants to have a greater say on wicket prep, which is a massive red flag.

 

[simmo1]

Greg Chappell telling it like it is.

Walters, Cosier and Chappell himself all dismissed trying to hit the ball out of the park in that Centenary test. T20 must have ruined their technique.

 

[Twizzle]

And pinning his hope on every test going for 5 days is unrealistic.

Did he actually say that ?