Surprising Two-Day Finish at Boxing Day Test Raises Eyebrows

The recent Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground ended unexpectedly in just two days, shocking players and fans alike. With 36 wickets falling, the match raised significant concerns regarding the pitch conditions, which both team captains criticized. Curator Matt Page expressed his surprise at the outcome, admitting that the grass length intended to balance play instead favored seam bowlers excessively. This early finish not only affected the game's integrity but also led to financial losses for organizers. As the cricketing world awaits the match referee's report, Page has committed to improving future pitch conditions to uphold the standards of Test cricket.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 28, 2025, 22:01 IST

Unexpected Outcome at the Boxing Day Test

The Boxing Day Test held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground concluded in a shocking manner, wrapping up in just two days, leaving even pitch curator Matt Page astonished. In this highly anticipated Ashes clash between Australia and England, a staggering 20 wickets fell on the very first day, culminating in a total of 36 wickets across 142 overs, which led to an early finish.

Notably, England secured their first Test victory in Australia since 2011. However, the focus shifted more towards the pitch conditions, which drew criticism from both team captains.

After the match, MCG curator Matt Page admitted he was taken aback by the outcome. He mentioned that he had left approximately 10 millimeters of grass on the pitch this time, compared to about 7 millimeters during the Test against India last year. His intention was to create a balance between bat and ball, but the results were contrary to expectations.

The early conclusion of the match also resulted in financial losses for the organizers, as tickets for the third day had already been sold out. Both team captains acknowledged that the pitch provided excessive assistance to seam bowlers.

Matt Page stated that he takes responsibility for the result and aims to learn from this experience to achieve better balance in the future. He noted that if there is no seam movement on a pitch like the MCG, the game can become extremely flat, reminiscent of the 2017 Ashes when Alastair Cook scored a double century, resulting in a draw.

Currently, the cricketing community is awaiting the match referee's report from the International Cricket Council, which will provide the final verdict on the pitch. Meanwhile, the curator has assured that efforts will be made to prevent such situations in the future, ensuring the integrity of Test cricket remains intact.