MCG chief curator "in state of shock" as he breaks silence at two-day Test

Melbourne [Australia], December 28 (ANI): The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) chief curator Matt Page broke his silence on the much-criticised, talked-about strip used for the fourth Boxing Day Ashes Test, admitting he was in a "state of shock" after witnessing 20 wickets tumble on day one and hoped he is "never involved like this" again.
Various experts criticised the Melbourne Boxing Day Test for the Ashes, ex-cricketers not only from Australia and England, but also from world cricket, for ending within a span of just two days, with a massive 36 wickets tumbling and no fifties being scored throughout the match as the bowlers made merry on a pace-friendly surface.
Speaking as quoted by SEN Cricket, Page admitted, "I was in a state of shock after the first day to see everything that happened," he said.
"20 wickets in a day, I have never been involved in a Test match like it, and hopefully never involved in a Test match like it again,: he added.
Page said the two-day match was a "rollercoaster ride" and that the grounds staff will learn and grow from it.
"It was a rollercoaster ride for two days to see everything unfold. But we will learn from it, we will grow from it, we will get better at it, just like we have over the past years. I have no doubt we will come back bigger, better and stronger than we have done," he said.
While Page was disappointed that such a prestigious fixture in the cricketing calendar was finished within two days, he did admit that the staff had produced more bowler-friendly pitches this year and gave the rationale behind leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch.
"This year, we have produced a pitch that has favoured the bowlers more than the batters. We had a lot of hot weather leading into last year, which makes it a lot easier for us to control our moisture leading in. We left more moisture in the top of the pitch last year to provide that contest early up in the game," he said.
"We felt that we had the balance really good leading into that game. This year we went in with 10 mils as we knew we were going to get a lot of hot weather at the back end of the game," he added.
Page admitted that the grounds staff is "really conscious of flat pitches" and does not want to go back to 2017 days when flatter surfaces were being laid out.
"Our grass is vitally important to what we do. We do not get inconsistent bounce, we do not get deterioration in our pitches. We are trying to balance that contest between bat and ball over four or five days to provide that captivating Test for all," he said.
"So, for us we left it longer because of the weather we were going to get at the back end. We will make sure we get it right next year," he concluded.
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 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 was 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 pointing to the pitch's venomous and 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 off 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 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)