ICC rates MCG pitch ‘Unsatisfactory’ after two-day Boxing Day Ashes Test

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rated the pitch used for the fourth Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) as “unsatisfactory”, handing the iconic venue one demerit point under its Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process after a dramatically shortened Test that concluded in just two days. The decision, confirmed on Monday following match referee Jeff Crowe’s assessment, underscores growing concerns about the playing surface’s balance between bat and ball in one of cricket’s marquee fixtures. 

England secured a four-wicket victory over Australia in the Boxing Day Test inside 142 overs, with an astonishing 36 wickets falling and no batter reaching a half-century — a rare feat in modern Test cricket and the first time in Australia since 1932. Crowe said the surface “favored the bowlers too much,” with 20 wickets tumbling on day one and 16 more on day two, leading to the below-par rating and the issuance of a demerit point, which will remain on the MCG’s record for five years. 

The ICC’s four-tier rating system places “unsatisfactory” just above “unfit,” with six demerit points within a five-year period triggering a 12-month ban from hosting international matches — a scenario Cricket Australia will be keen to avoid as it plans for future marquee fixtures. Despite the setback, Cricket Australia and the Melbourne Cricket Club have expressed confidence in restoring the venue’s traditional playing standards. 

The controversial pitch performance came amid the 2025–26 Ashes series, a five-match showdown between Australia and England running from 21 November 2025 to 8 January 2026 as part of the ICC World Test Championship. Australia had already secured a 3–1 series lead before the Melbourne Test, thereby retaining the Ashes urn early. England’s win in Melbourne marked their first Test victory on Australian soil since 2011 and prevented a whitewash, giving them momentum heading into the final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground beginning 4 January.

The pitch has drawn widespread criticism from across the cricketing world. England captain Ben Stokes described it as unsuitable for a marquee five-day Test, remarking that similar conditions elsewhere would have drawn severe backlash. Former England skipper Kevin Pietersen questioned whether Australia would face the same scrutiny as other nations, while ex-India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik expressed disbelief that two matches in the series could conclude within two days.

The pitch rating has sparked debate in cricketing circles, with critics questioning whether surface preparation or batting performances were chiefly to blame for the rapid finish. Some former players and commentators have described the conditions as overly bowler-friendly, while others argue that modern batting approaches under pressure had a significant role. Regardless, the ICC’s “unsatisfactory” verdict adds another layer to the unfolding drama of this Ashes summer.