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Ben Stokes Slams MCG Pitch: "Somewhere Else, There'd Be Hell On"

England captain Ben Stokes delivered a scathing critique of the Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch after the Boxing Day Test concluded in just two days. He suggested that if a similar pitch were prepared elsewhere in the world, it would face severe criticism. This marked the second two-day Test in the ongoing Ashes series, highlighting concerns over pitch conditions. Despite the challenging surface, England secured a memorable victory, though Stokes emphasized such short matches are not ideal for five-day Test cricket.

Key Points: Ben Stokes Criticizes MCG Pitch After 2-Day Ashes Test

  • Stokes criticizes pitch quality
  • Second two-day Test in Ashes series
  • England win Boxing Day match
  • Questions global pitch standards
3 min read

"Somewhere else in the world, there'd be hell on": Ben Stokes' brutal take on MCG pitch

England captain Ben Stokes gave a brutal assessment of the MCG pitch after a Boxing Day Test ended in two days, suggesting double standards in cricket.

"I'm pretty sure if that was somewhere else in the world, there'd be hell on. - Ben Stokes"

Melbourne, December 27

England captain Ben Stokes has taken a brutal take on the MCG pitch, saying that if a pitch like MCG were served somewhere else in the world, there would have been "hell on" criticism. Stokes added that his feedback to the match referee regarding the MCG pitch won't be the best.

The Three Lions won the Fourth Test, which was a Boxing Day game, inside two days at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. Notably, this was the second two-day Test in the ongoing Ashes series.

Earlier, the opening Test in Perth was ended in two days. According to ESPNcricinfo, the last time multiple two-day Tests happened in the same series was in 1912.

During the post-match conference, Ben Stokes was brutal in his assessment of the MCG pitch. Stokes added that no one wants a Test match to finish inside two days.

"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,' Stokes said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

"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 added.

When Stokes was asked for feedback on the MCG pitch to the match referee, he said, "It won't be the best."

Coming to the match, England won the toss and opted to bowl first. Josh Tongue (5/45) took England's first-ever Boxing Day Test five-wicket haul at the MCG, as Australia were skittled out for 152 runs in 45.2 overs, with Michael Neser (35 in 49 balls, with seven fours) and Usman Khawaja (29 in 52 balls, with two fours) being the top scorers for Australia.

Neser also shared a half-century stand with Cameron Green (17) before a run-out triggered another collapse ending in an all-out. England were bundled out for 110 in 29.5 overs in their first innings, with Harry Brook (41 in 34 balls, with two fours and two sixes) and Gus Atkinson (28 in 35 balls, with three fours and a six).

A mix of England's 'Bazball' approach failing yet again and the pitch being absolutely unplayable for batters gave Neser (4/45) and hometown hero Scott Boland (3/30) easy wickets. England trailed by 42 runs.

In their second innings, Australia failed to make an impact, once again highlighting the pitch's venomous, treacherous nature. Only Travis Head (46 in 67 balls, with four boundaries) and Steve Smith (24* in 39 balls, with a four) crossed the 20-run mark as England bundled them out for just 132 runs in 34.3 overs.

Aussies led by 174 runs, setting an easy 175 to win for England. Brydon Carse (4/34) and skipper Ben Stokes (3/24) were the top bowlers for England.

In the run chase, England started well with a half-century stand between Zak Crawley (37 in 48 balls, with three fours and a six) and Ben Duckett (34 in 26 balls, with four boundaries and a six) and a 47-run stand for the third wicket between Crawley and Jacob Bethell (40 in 46 balls, with five fours).

Australia did fight back a bit, reducing England from 112/2 to 165/6, but the pair of Harry Brook (18*) and Jamie Smith (3*) guided their team to a memorable win.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As a neutral fan, it's disappointing. The Boxing Day Test is a marquee event. Fans pay good money expecting five days of contest. This was a lottery, not a cricket match. Kudos to Stokes for speaking up.
P
Priya S
Honestly, while the pitch was bad, England's Bazball approach also contributed to the quick finish. They were swinging at everything! Sometimes you need to adapt to the conditions, not just attack blindly. Still, a win is a win for them.
V
Vikram M
Remember the criticism Ahmedabad pitch got for the pink-ball Test? That match went to day 3! This is over in 2 days in Australia and the silence is deafening. Stokes has called out the hypocrisy perfectly. 👏
R
Rohit P
The MCG curator needs to answer for this. It's not good for the sport. We want to see battles between bat and ball, not a procession of wickets. Hope they prepare a better track for the next match.
M
Michael C
Interesting point from Stokes. But let's be fair, sometimes you get a dud pitch. It happens everywhere. The real issue is having two in one series. That's what the focus should be on, not comparing which country gets more flak.

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