'Too much in favour of bowlers': MCG pitch for 4th Test gets 'unsatisfactory' rating after two-day finish

The pitch on offer at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) for the fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England has been deemed 'Unsatisfactory' by the match referee Jeff Crowe. The venue has also been handed over one demerit point under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.

The Boxing Day Test ended in just two days with no team crossing the 200-run mark in four innings while no batter also scored a half-century as 46 was the highest individual score. Mr. Jeff Crowe of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees delivered the verdict and explained the decision behind deeming the pitch unsatisfactory.

He felt that the conditions were heavily in favour of bowlers right through the Test with as many as 20 wickets falling in a day and a further 16 on the second day. "The MCG pitch was too much in favour of the bowlers. With 20 wickets falling on the first day, 16 on the second day and no batter even reaching a half-century, the pitch was ‘Unsatisfactory’ as per the guidelines and the venue gets one demerit point," he said.

England skipper Ben Stokes had also criticised the pitch heavily. "Being brutally honest, that's not really what you want. Boxing Day Test match. You don't want a game finishing in less than two days. Not ideal. But you can't change it once you start the game and you've just got to play what's in front of you.

"But I'm pretty sure if that was somewhere else in the world, there'd be hell on. Not the best thing for games that should be played over five days. But we played a type of cricket that ended up getting the job done," Stokes said.

England end their win drought at MCG

However, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise for England as the surface suited their style of play. They chased down the target of 175 runs in their Bazball style with four wickets in hand to finally register their first Test win in Australia since January 2011. Josh Tongue won the player of the match award for picking up a five-wicket haul in the first innings that helped England skittle the hosts for just 152 runs.