The first day of the Boxing Day Ashes Test produced 20 wickets, with the pitch at the MCG drawing significant criticism for the difficulties faced by batters on both sides.
England bowled Australia out for 152 after winning the toss on day one, with Josh Tongue taking a five-wicket haul. However, when England came out to bat the tables were quickly turned, and the tourists were reduced to 16-4 in the eighth over of the innings. Despite a flurry of hits from Harry Brook and some late innings resistance from Gus Atkinson, England were bowled out before the close for 110, and Australia began their second innings on day one. Scott Boland was sent out as a nightwatcher to see out one over before stumps.
Several pundits criticised the pitch for producing a ball-dominated day. Speaking on BBC Test Match Special, Michael Vaughan said: "The pitch is a shocker. For a Test match first day, it’s just done far too much. It’s actually done it quicker when Australia bowled, it just seems to be nipping quicker. That ball is nipping back from Boland to the right-handers, you question technique and of course you can play it better but they’re so difficult to face when they’re nipping back like that."
Michael Vaughan has criticised the MCG pitch after 20 wickets fell on the opening day of the Boxing Day Test.#AUSvENG #Ashes2025 pic.twitter.com/8wERP84ANS
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) December 26, 2025
On ABC Sport, Darren Lehmann said the surface in Melbourne was "worse" than the pitch for the series opener in Perth, where 19 wickets fell on day one and the match finished in two days. Stuart Broad said on SEN Radio that the pitch was "doing too much". "Test match bowlers don't need this amount of movement to look threatening," he said.
Could Melbourne face a penalty for Boxing Day surface?
The ICC has four ratings for Test pitches, the top two of which are 'very good' and 'satisfactory'. Demerit points are handed out if a pitch is given a rating of 'unsatisfactory' and 'unfit'. Melbourne will not be rated as 'unfit' as that rating is only handed out if a pitch is dangerous. Therefore the only possible penalty for the surface would come from an 'unsatisfactory' rating.
For a pitch to be deemed 'unsatisfactory' it must be: "A pitch that does not allow an even contest between bat and ball: either by favouring the batters too much, with minimal wicket-taking opportunities for both seam and spin, or by favouring the bowlers too much with too many wicket-taking opportunities for either seam or spin."
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The regulations clarify that "the objective of a Test pitch shall be to allow all the individual skills of the game to be demonstrated by the players at various stages of the match. If anything, the balance of the contest between bat and ball in a Test match should slightly favour the bowling team."
Too many wickets falling on day one of a Test match does not necessarily lead to an 'unsatisfactory' rating. After 19 wickets fell on the first day of the series in Perth, the WACA was given the highest possible rating of 'very good'.
Speaking before play on Boxing Day, Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg said: "We want cricket wickets that have a balance between bat and ball. We've got enormous faith in the venue, in the team here, in the people, the experts and like all of us, players, administrators."
Whether the Melbourne pitch receives a penalty will likely hinge on the amount of seam movement bowlers were able to generate. While an unsatisfactory rating is in theory handed down if "too many wicket-taking opportunities for either seam or spin", in practice that is dependent on both the quality of batting on display, and whether the ball moved excessively. There was no inconsistent bounce on day one, as you would expect of a normal Test match pitch, so whether the lateral movement on offer exceeded the 'limited seam movement' specified to qualify a 'very good' rating, will be a key factor in whether a penalty is awarded or not.
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