Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) curator, Matt Page, has finally given the go-ahead to build the two-day Ashes Test pitch that cost Cricket Australia (CA) around AU$10 million (approximately ₹60 crore).
Matt Page said he was “really disappointed” by the behavior of the pitch and was in a “state of shock” after seeing 20 wickets fall on the first day of play.
Ashes 2025-26: Fourth Test at MCG ends in two days
The result of the Ashes 2025-26 was decided at the Adelaide Oval as Australia managed to retain the urn by winning the first three consecutive Test matches.
Australia won the first match of the two-day series in Perth by 8 wickets, followed by the next two matches in Brisbane and Adelaide by 8 wickets and 82 runs.
The pitch prepared for the first Test came under scrutiny after the match concluded within two days. The early ending meant that Cricket Australia (CA) suffered a huge financial blow, and they hoped that such short Test matches would not happen again for the rest of the series.
However, disaster struck in the fourth Test at the MCG as 20 wickets fell on the first day and on the second day, the Three Lions chased 175 and won by 4 wickets – their first Test win on Australian soil in almost 15 years.
Furthermore, it was the fourth Test in history to finish within two days in Australia, with the first three Tests being Australia vs West Indies in Melbourne in 1931, Australia vs South Africa in Brisbane in 2022, and Australia vs England in Perth in 2025.
MCG curator promises, ‘No more 2 day pitches’
Cricket Australia (CA) is expected to lose up to AU$10 million and MCG curator Matt Page is apparently unhappy with this and has promised that no such 2-day Test match will ever take place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
He said, “I was in a state of shock after seeing what happened after the first day, 20 wickets in a day. I have never been involved in a Test match like this, and hopefully I will never be involved in a Test match like this again.”
“Every year is different and the margins are very small, but in the back of your mind, you are always trying to provide that competition. We are trying to provide attractive Test cricket, which is a balance between bat and ball over four or five days.
“We’ve designed a test that’s interesting, but it hasn’t lasted very long and we’ll take ownership of it. We’ll learn from it, we’ll grow, and we’ll make sure we get it right next year.”
I feel for them – Travis Head supports MCG curator
Australian opening batsman Travis Head came out in support of MCG curator Matt Page after the match ended early, saying his job is “very difficult”. Travis Head said (as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo):
“Last week Adelaide was probably one of the better batting wickets I’ve seen and I think we batted poorly on the first day; England probably batted worse on [too]When we went to sleep on the first day, everyone was talking 500-600, and if a team bats really well and goes big, we’ll look at a draw in a potentially batting-friendly game and say, ‘Oh, has it gone the other way?’
“You are 1-2mm [of grass] Go the other way and look for a more bowler-friendly week… you have to perform well with the bat. Everyone is trying to grow and become better.
“You look at last year’s Test match, and India batted poorly on the last day… maybe it looked like it was going to be a draw, and then there are question marks around: are we going too far in the other direction? I feel for him [Page]This is extremely difficult, You take off 1-2 mm with high-quality bowling and you find yourself short, and you take off 2-3 mm with high-quality batting and you find yourself the other way around,”
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