"Ball With Your Name On It": Legends Slam MCG Pitch After 74-Year First

In the spirit of Christmas, the MCG pitch gifted bowlers from England and Australia alike with easy wickets as for the first time since 22 wickets fell during Australia-West Indies Test at Adelaide during 1951/52 season, 20 wickets crumbled on first day of action, with England pacer Josh Tongue, who got a five-wicket haul, the Aussie bowling pair of Michael Neser (four wickets) and Scott Boland (three wickets) looked absolutely unplayable and no batter across both innings could touch the 50-run mark, with England's Harry Brook being the top-scorer across two completed inning with 41 runs.

Speaking as quoted by SEN Cricket, ex-English pacer Stuart Broad said, "This pitch is doing everything. There is a ball coming with your name on it. The pitch is doing too much if I am brutally honest. Test match bowlers do not need this amount of movement to look threatening."

Ex-Australian opener Simon Katich, on commentary with Broad, also seemed to agree that there was "bit of juice in the wicket" and England were "spooked by covering of the grass", which was 10mm.

"Yes, there is a little bit of juice in the wicket with 10mm of grass, but there should not be 14 wickets gone already. It is as if the covering of grass spooks them (England)," he said on SEN Cricket.

Speaking to foxsports.com.au, Australian legend Mark Waugh also felt that the pitch was "bit too much in favour of bowlers", leaving him wanting a much more balanced contest.

"Australia have bowled well, they were always going to bowl well, but the pitch is probably a bit too much in favour of the bowlers today," Australian great Mark Waugh told foxsports.com.au.

"I like to see a contest between bat and ball, but I think the pitch is heading towards favouring the bowling a bit too much. There is so much grass on the pitch. It has been a little bit two-paced. Some have flown through, others have sat up a bit. It has been hard for the batsmen," he added.

Former Australia pace great Brett Lee felt the wicket was "bit too sporty" and that the curators did not get it right.

"Well l use the word sporty, and I've often said, look it's a batsman's game, we're here to see batsmen score runs, but l think it is a bit too sporty in my opinion," he said on Kayo Sports' coverage as quoted by FOX Cricket.

Finally, the former England captain Michael Vaughan, the brains behind the iconic 2005 Ashes series win in UK, said on FOX as quoted by ESPNCricinfo, "I think this pitch today has done too much... This pitch has zipped quickly, and it has not been easy at all."

Meanwhile, England elected to bowl first, and a five-wicket haul from Josh Tongue (5/45) bowled out Australia for just 152 in the first innings, with Neser (35 in 49 balls, with seven fours) and Usman Khawaja (29 in 52 balls, with two fours) being top-scorers for Aussies.

Tongue made history, becoming the first bowler from his team to take a five-wicket haul in the prestigious Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the 21st century, playing a crucial role in cutting short Australia's innings to just two sessions.

Tongue produced the aggression, ruthlessness and venom that England fans had been waiting for. Having already lost the Ashes Test series and extending their wait for their first triumph in Australia since 2010/11, England and particularly Tongue, came to MCG for the prestigious fixture with vengeance in their eyes. Playing for the Three Lions badge on the chest, Tongue played for the fiery English pride, which has suffered many wounds in Australia since their last Ashes series win there, having been winless over the previous 18 Tests there.

Darren Gough and Dean Headley took a five-for at the MCG in 1998.

England ended their day by huffing and puffing their way to 110 all out, with Brook top-scoring and Gus Atkinson (28 in 35 balls, with two fours and a six) grinding it out as Michael Neser (4/45) and Scott Boland (3/30) made merry.

Australia ended the day at 4/0, leading by 46 runs.

- ANI