Overview
- Match referee Jeff Crowe rated Perth 'very good' but deemed the MCG surface 'unsatisfactory' with a demerit point after both Tests ended inside two days.
- Per ICC criteria, Perth offered a fair contest despite 19 wickets on Day 1, while Melbourne produced 36 wickets in two days with no half-centuries and excessive assistance for bowlers.
- Data underscored the imbalance at the MCG, where batters averaged 15.88 with a 69.61% control rate compared with 21.03 and 75.44 in Perth.
- MCG curator Matt Page accepted responsibility, citing extra grass and a full day under covers after 25mm of rain, and said the pitch bounced more than expected.
- Cricket Australia faces an estimated $30 million hit as debate intensifies over the rare two-day finishes, with opinion pieces urging a consolation one-day game in the spirit of Melbourne 1971.