Australian Vice-Captain Steve Smith harshly criticized the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) pitch used in the fourth Ashes Test 2025-26, claiming it was too heavily tilted in favor of the bowlers. The match concluded in just two days when England achieved the target of 175 runs on the second day, marking their first Test win in Australia since January 2011.
36 Wickets Fall in 2 Days
On the first day alone, 20 wickets fell on the lightly green surface, as both teams struggled with their batting. The conditions remained unchanged on the second day, with an additional 16 wickets falling, concluding the match in two days and marking it as the seventh shortest test resolution in Ashes history. Post-match, Steve Smith was visibly displeased with the pitch and openly expressed his dissatisfaction.
Australia's acting captain, Smith, commented that 36 wickets in two days are more than necessary, and he believes the situation could have been slightly easier had there been less grass on the pitch.
Steve Smith Speaks Out
In the post-match presentation, Smith stated, 'I think it was a bit much. Conditions were quite challenging, no batsman could settle. When you see 36 wickets fall in two days, it's probably more than expected. The pitch likely provided more assistance than the curators anticipated. If the grass had been trimmed to 8 mm, it might have offered a better balance.'
Smith also mentioned that if Australia had managed to add 50-60 more runs in both innings, they could have remained competitive in the match. He also commended England's top order for their aggressive batting.
He further added that it was a tough match, and the game concluded very quickly. If they had scored 50 or 60 more runs in both innings, they might have stayed in the contest till the end. Throughout the match, the pitch provided significant assistance. However, today, when the ball softened a bit and England's top order hit some powerful shots, the pitch's impact reduced somewhat. Despite this, the pitch still offered plenty.
Find out why this pitch became a subject of concern.
Why This Pitch Causes Concerns
The 20 wickets falling in Melbourne on the first day were the most in Australia since 1951 at Adelaide Oval, when 22 wickets fell in one day. This is why the pitch remains a significant topic of discussion among fans and cricket experts and is likely to continue being debated in the coming days.
Meanwhile, England avoided a whitewash by securing a Test win in Australia after 5,468 days. The Ashes series now heads to Sydney, with the fifth and final test starting on January 4th.
