England captain Ben Stokes has criticised the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) pitch used in the fourth Ashes Test, warning that people would raise “hell” if such a surface were produced elsewhere in the world. England claimed a stunning victory over Australia in just two days, with 36 wickets falling in six sessions and the highest individual score being Travis Head’s 46.

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Pitch Criticism and Match Context

Stokes expressed concern over the condition of the pitch, noting that total scores were under 200 for both teams:

“With 36 wickets in less than two days and no total over 200, I think you can read into that a lot. If that was another condition somewhere else and that happened, you probably would get a pasting.”

The England all-rounder suggested the surface made batting unnecessarily difficult and hinted at comparisons with pitches in Asia, which sometimes produce excessively turning tracks and short Tests.

“I’m pretty sure if that was somewhere else in the world there’d be hell on. It is 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.”

This Test was England’s second two-day victory of the series, following the opener in Perth, marking the first time in history that two Ashes Tests finished in under 48 hours. England’s four-wicket win chasing 175 ended a run of 18 Tests without a victory in Australia.

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Reactions from Australian Side

Stand-in Australia captain Steve Smith described the pitch as “furry and green” before the game, warning batters to be on their guard. After the Test, Smith expressed confusion over MCG head groundsman Matthew Page’s decision to leave 10mm of grass on the pitch:

“It probably did more than we thought it was going to. It’s tough as a groundsman, always looking for the right balance. Maybe if he took it from 10mm to eight, it would have been a nice, challenging wicket, maybe a little bit more even.”

The head groundsman is scheduled to address the media to explain his preparation methods.

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Former Players Criticise Pitch

Former England captain Michael Vaughan criticised the surface as “unfair,” arguing it gave an excessive advantage to bowlers:

“The pitch had done too much. It was an unfair contest between bat and ball.”

England batter Joe Root, who played at the MCG during the 2017 Ashes, offered a more balanced view:

“The argument is was it too one-sided – bat versus ball? People are more qualified to judge that. It was certainly challenging from my point of view. You have a world-class attack and the ball is moving a considerable amount. Your job is to get on the right side of the result.”

In contrast to the 2017 Ashes Test, when the MCG pitch was rated “poor” by the ICC for being too batting-friendly, the 2025 surface produced a dramatic, result-oriented contest that saw wickets tumble quickly.

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Key Takeaways

• England beat Australia in two days at the MCG, with 36 wickets falling in six sessions.
• Captain Ben Stokes criticised the pitch, suggesting it would be unacceptable elsewhere.
• Stand-in Australia captain Steve Smith questioned the decision to leave 10mm of grass on the surface.
• Former England captain Michael Vaughan labelled the pitch “unfair,” while Joe Root acknowledged the challenge of batting.
• The match marked the second two-day Test of the series, a historical first in Ashes cricket since 1896.