Ben Stokes said a Boxing Day Test finishing inside two days in Melbourne was not ideal
The MCG surface offered excessive assistance to seamers, with 20 wickets falling on day one
Stokes pointed to perceived global double standards in pitch criticism
The Ashes 2025-26: England captain Ben Stokes has openly questioned the suitability of the Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch used for the recent Boxing Day Test, suggesting it would have attracted far stronger criticism had it been prepared outside Australia.
Stokes’ remarks came despite England’s historic four-wicket win in a match that saw 20 wickets fall on the opening day and finished in under two days. The result ended the Three Lions’ 15-year wait for a Test win Down Under.
The MCG surface, however, became a global talking point as seamers from both teams extracted excessive movement, leaving batters with little margin for error. Australia were dismissed for 132 in their second innings in 34.3 overs, while England’s top order also struggled to build meaningful partnerships.
Although Melbourne is known for pace-friendly conditions, the degree of assistance raised concerns about balance in one of Test cricket’s flagship fixtures.
“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,” Stokes said. “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 Flags Double Standards
Stokes went further, pointing to what he described as a global double standard in how pitches are judged.
“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.”
Asked if the comparison was directed at spin-friendly pitches in Asia, Stokes responded: “Your words, not mine.”
Former players like Kevin Pietersen, Dinesh Karthik, Glenn McGrath, and Stuart Broad have also publicly voiced their disappointment with the MCG pitch.
(With PTI Inputs)
