Overview
- England won the Boxing Day Test inside two days at the MCG as 36 wickets fell in 142 overs on a surface that offered sharp seam movement and uneven bounce.
- MCG curator Matt Page acknowledged leaving 10 millimetres of grass on the pitch, conceding it favoured bowlers excessively on days one and two.
- Cricket Australia expects an A$10–15 million revenue shortfall, with refunds owed for the sold‑out Day 3 and unused later days.
- ICC match referee Jeff Crowe has yet to deliver his assessment of the MCG surface, with an unsatisfactory rating potentially leading to a demerit point for the venue.
- Australia coach Andrew McDonald defended Page and cautioned against prescriptive pitch mandates, as Sunil Gavaskar questioned ICC rating consistency and Darren Lehmann renewed his call to scrap the toss.