Ben Stokes Critiques MCG Pitch After England's Quick Victory

In a recent post-match conference, England's captain Ben Stokes harshly criticized the MCG pitch after his team's rapid victory in the Boxing Day Test. Stokes expressed concerns that such a pitch would have faced severe backlash if it were located elsewhere. The match concluded in just two days, marking a rare occurrence in the Ashes series. With England's bowlers dominating, the team managed to chase down a modest target, despite a brief fightback from Australia. Stokes' comments raise questions about pitch conditions and the future of Test cricket. Read on for a detailed account of the match and Stokes' insights.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 27, 2025, 17:08 IST

Stokes' Harsh Critique of the MCG Pitch

Melbourne, Australia - England's captain Ben Stokes has expressed strong criticism regarding the pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), stating that if such a surface were encountered elsewhere, it would have sparked significant backlash. He mentioned that his comments to the match referee about the MCG pitch would not be favorable.

The England team secured a swift victory in the Fourth Test, which coincided with the Boxing Day celebrations, wrapping up the match in just two days at the historic venue. This marked the second instance of a two-day Test occurring in the current Ashes series.

Previously, the opening Test held in Perth also concluded within two days. As reported by ESPNcricinfo, this is the first time since 1912 that multiple two-day Tests have taken place in a single series.

During the post-match press conference, Stokes was candid in his evaluation of the MCG pitch, emphasizing that no one desires a Test match to conclude in such a short timeframe.

"To be brutally honest, that’s not what you want for a Boxing Day Test. It’s not ideal for a game to finish in under two days. However, once the game starts, you have to deal with what’s in front of you," Stokes remarked, as noted by ESPNcricinfo.

"I’m quite certain that if this situation occurred elsewhere, there would be an uproar. It’s not conducive for matches that are meant to last five days. Nevertheless, we adapted our play to secure the win," he added.

When asked about his feedback on the MCG pitch to the match referee, Stokes simply stated, "It won’t be the best."

In the match itself, England won the toss and chose to bowl first. Josh Tongue achieved a remarkable feat by taking England’s first-ever five-wicket haul in a Boxing Day Test at the MCG, dismissing Australia for 152 runs in 45.2 overs. Michael Neser (35 runs off 49 balls) and Usman Khawaja (29 runs off 52 balls) were the top scorers for Australia.

Neser also contributed to a half-century partnership with Cameron Green (17) before a run-out led to a batting collapse. England, in their first innings, managed to score only 110 runs in 29.5 overs, with Harry Brook (41 runs off 34 balls) and Gus Atkinson (28 runs off 35 balls) being the notable contributors.

A combination of England's aggressive 'Bazball' strategy faltering and the pitch proving extremely challenging for batters allowed Neser (4/45) and local favorite Scott Boland (3/30) to claim easy wickets, leaving England trailing by 42 runs.

In their second innings, Australia struggled again, further emphasizing the pitch's difficult conditions. Only Travis Head (46 runs off 67 balls) and Steve Smith (24* runs off 39 balls) managed to surpass the 20-run mark, as England bowled them out for a mere 132 runs in 34.3 overs.

With Australia setting a target of 175 runs, England began their chase positively, featuring a half-century partnership between Zak Crawley (37 runs off 48 balls) and Ben Duckett (34 runs off 26 balls), along with a 47-run partnership for the third wicket between Crawley and Jacob Bethell (40 runs off 46 balls).

Despite Australia making a comeback and reducing England from 112/2 to 165/6, Harry Brook (18*) and Jamie Smith (3*) ultimately led their team to a significant victory.