Ashes: ‘Shocked’ MCG curator disappointed with Boxing Day Test result, vows to never…

For the second time in a month, an Ashes Test was done inside two days, this time at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). If only the Ashes opener in Perth was looked down as a shallow moment in Test history, 36 wickets falling inside 142 overs across four innings and five sessions in the Boxing Day Test raised eyebrows all over. The fourth Test at the iconic ‘G’ was over even before anyone realised, and the person behind preparing the pitch that became the talking point, Matt Page, was all but shocked and disappointed with the result.

While the MCG pitch received widespread criticism across both camps, with England captain Ben Stokes and Australia’s stand-in skipper Steve Smith coming down hard on the 10mm grass that Page kept (on the pitch) for the Boxing Day Test, he has received little backing from Australian opener Travis Head. His decision to leave that amount of grass cost Cricket Australia (CA) AUS$10mn, with Smith saying a marginal difference (had it been 8mm instead of 10) would have been better, and challenging at the same time.

"It probably offered just a little bit too much… Maybe if you took it from 10 to 8mm, it would have been a nice, challenging wicket - maybe a little bit more even,” Smith said about the MCG pitch.

Speaking of the game’s outcome and how he felt about it, Page said, "I was in a state of shock after the first day, to see everything that happened, 20 wickets in a day. I've never been involved in a Test match like it, and hopefully never involved in a Test match like it again.

"Every year is different, and the margins are very small, but in the back of your mind, you're always trying to provide that contest. We're about trying to provide captivating Test cricket, that balance between bat and ball going four or five days.

"We've produced a Test that's been captivating, but it hasn't gone long enough, and we'll take ownership of that. We'll learn from it, we'll grow, and we'll make sure that we'll get it right next year,” he continued.

On the other hand, Travis Head, who opened across both innings, put a supportive arm around Page’s neck, lending him support.

"I feel for him [Page]. It's bloody tough. You leave 1-2mm on with high-quality bowling, and you find yourself short, and you take 2-3mm off with high-quality batting, and you leave yourself the other way,” Head said.

Meanwhile, England won the MCG Test by four wickets - their first win Down Under in 14 years, and despite that, trailing the away Ashes (1-3), with one Test remaining.