Overview
- The MCG Boxing Day Test finished inside two days, joining the Perth opener as the second two-day match of the series and triggering more than Aus$10 million in refunds and lost revenue for Cricket Australia.
- Coach Andrew McDonald praised curator Matt Page’s work and said Australia’s batters must share responsibility for the rapid finish.
- McDonald opposed any move for governing bodies or captains to request tailor-made pitches, pointing to Australia’s tradition of curator autonomy.
- ICC match referee Jeff Crowe has yet to issue his pitch report, which could rate the surface unsatisfactory and hand the MCG a demerit point.
- Cricket Australia plans an end-of-season review of Test wicket management, as MCC chief Stuart Fox publicly backed Page’s stewardship.