Overview
- Pace-friendly decks culminated in the first Australian Test with zero spin overs at the MCG, where 36 wickets fell in 142 overs on an extra‑green pitch.
- Independent figures show just 261 balls of spin bowled per Test this summer, with Nathan Lyon’s 55 overs in Adelaide the lone significant slow‑bowling impact before his hamstring injury.
- Over the past five years the SCG has been Australia’s toughest venue for spinners, averaging about 49 runs per wicket compared with fast bowlers under 30.
- Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg pressed for the Sydney pitch to “perform well,” intensifying scrutiny after shortened matches and gate‑revenue losses estimated at $15 million in Perth and Melbourne.
- Australia coach Andrew McDonald said he would “love to pick” off‑spinner Todd Murphy for Sydney, while England’s stated No. 1 Shoaib Bashir has been repeatedly overlooked in this series.