Cricket - The Ashes - Australia v England - Fourth Test - MCG, Melbourne, Australia - December 26, 2025 England's Josh Tongue walks off the field raising the ball after claiming 5 wickets. REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake
Dec 26 (Reuters) - As 20 wickets fell on the first day of the fourth Ashes test on Friday, the carnage prompted sharp criticism from former England cricketers who questioned whether the pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground offered a fair contest.
Ex-England skipper Michael Vaughan said the record crowd of 94,199 at the MCG were "royally entertained" as they watched the most wickets to fall on the first day of an Ashes test since 1909 but slammed the pitch after both line-ups crumbled in spectacular fashion.
England won the toss and elected to field, bowling out Australia for 152 before the visitors were dismissed for 110. Australia were 4-0 at stumps, leading by 46 runs heading into day two.
"We're always looking for a fair balance between bat and ball. I thought that was unfair for the batters," Vaughan told BBC.
"The pitch has done plenty. There's been plenty of movement out there. It's not been easy for both sides but I don't like seeing a pitch do so much."
'UNFAIR CONTEST'
Another ex-captain and opening batter Alastair Cook was equally unimpressed and said it was "not a great test match wicket" as England were dismissed in just 29.5 overs.
"Unless this flattens on days two, three, four -- if we get there -- that was too heavily weighed in the bowlers' favour," Cook told TNT Sports.
"I think it was an unfair contest. Could both sides have battled slightly better? Yes, but I was watching some of that bowling and I don’t know how you face that."
Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad said the pitch was "doing too much" and that test bowlers "don't need this amount of movement to look threatening" while ex-Australian pacer Glenn McGrath said it had too much grass.
"That pitch has too much life in it for test cricket. It was 10mm of grass when I think 7mm would have been better, but I think he (the groundsman) was more concerned with what was happening on days three, four and five," McGrath said.
However, he also said the conditions could favour England later on when they bat for a second time.
"The weather is getting warmer, which will have an impact on top of the rollers," he added. "So it could get to the stage where England are batting in the fourth innings in the best batting conditions of the match."
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
