Ben Stokes Criticises MCG Pitch After Two-Day Ashes Test

England captain Ben Stokes didn’t hold back in his assessment of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) pitch after the fourth Ashes Test between England and Australia finished in under two days — a rare occurrence in Test cricket that has sparked widespread debate.

🔥 What Stokes Said

• Stokes described the MCG surface as “not really what you want” for a traditional Boxing Day Test, emphasising that finishing a five-day match in less than two days is not ideal for the format.
• He went further, saying that “if that pitch was produced anywhere else in the world, there’d be hell.” He suggested such conditions would face intense criticism globally, underlining the imbalance between bat and ball.
• Stokes added that while England’s victory — their first on Australian soil in about 15 years — was historic, the pace and nature of the pitch overshadowed the result.

🧠 Match Context

• The MCG Test saw 36 wickets fall across just six sessions as neither side could post a total over 200. Australia were bowled out twice, and England chased a modest target to secure a 4-wicket win.
• Such a quick outcome is extremely unusual for a Test at one of cricket’s most iconic venues and intensified scrutiny on how the pitch was prepared.

📉 Impact and Reaction

• Many players, commentators, and fans agreed that the surface offered too much assistance to bowlers, particularly seamers, making batting exceptionally difficult.
• Even former players and pundits voiced surprise and frustration, calling the pitch “not what you expect from an Ashes Test” and questioning whether it met the balance expected in five-day cricket.
• Meanwhile, the MCG pitch curator admitted being shocked by how the surface played, acknowledging that the conditions overly favoured bowlers — and vowed to learn from the experience.

📌 Why It Matters

Ben Stokes’ comments reflect a broader concern in Test cricket: that pitch conditions should allow fair competition between bat and ball, especially in marquee fixtures like the Ashes. A match ending so quickly at the MCG has reignited debates over pitch preparation standards worldwide, and whether traditional Test venues are living up to the format’s expectations.