Stokes: MCG Pitch Would Spark Outrage if Played Elsewhere

England captain Ben Stokes believes a pitch similar to the one at the MCG would face notable criticism if presented in other parts of the world,stating his feedback to the match referee “won’t be the best.”

England secured victory in the fourth Test within two days.This marked the second two-day Test of the series. The last instance of multiple two-day Tests in a single series occurred in 1912. Australia has hosted only four two-day Tests in its history, with two occurring this summer and another at the Gabba in 2022.

While not deemed dangerous, the pitch’s consistent and excessive seam movement made batting exceptionally challenging. It was the first Test in Australia since 1932 where no batter reached a half-century.

Stokes was direct in his assessment of the surface after the match.

“Being brutally honest, that’s not really what you want,” stokes said.”Boxing day Test match. You don’t want a game finishing in less than two days.Not ideal. But you can’t change it onc you start the game and you’ve just got to play what’s in front of you.”

“But I’m pretty sure if that was somewhere else in the world, there’d be hell on.Not the best thing for games that should be played over five days. But we played a type of cricket that ended up getting the job done.”

When asked if he was alluding to the potential reaction if a two-day Test were played on a pitch in the subcontinent, Stokes responded, “It’s your words, not mine.”

Regarding his feedback to the match referee about the pitch, Stokes remained tight-lipped.