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Broad on MCG pitch (Source: @smwright1965/x.com, @ICC/x.com)
After a wave of controversy and a brief break, the iconic Ashes has returned with loaded red-ball excitement. As England and Australia are locking horns in the historic Boxing Day Test, the pitch grabbed the attention.
At the iconic venue, bowlers are living the dream while batters are trapped in a nightmare unfolding ball by ball. Reflecting on the concern, former England bowler Stuart Broad slammed the MCG pitch.
Stuart Broad tears into the MCG surface
Since the Ashes began, the cricketing world has been soaked in pure red-ball drama, but for England, the rivalry has turned into a nightmare after three straight defeats. With a 3-0 lead, the Aussies faced them in Melbourne for the fourth match. As the MCG crowd wished for a nail-biting encounter, the match unfolded as a bowler-dominating spectacle.
After winning the toss, England opted to bowl first, and Josh Tongue’s magical fifer ended Australia's innings in 152 runs. When England walked out to bat, the Aussie quicks flipped the script, unleashing the same ruthless dominance.
The unreal pace of the MCG surface grabbed the spotlight. Speaking on this, former English bowler Stuart Broad shared his ‘Brutal Honest’ take on the surface.
“The pitch is doing too much if I’m brutally honest. Test match bowlers don’t need this amount of movement to look threatening,” Broad said.
Australia unleash chaos as England sink deeper into trouble
After three consecutive defeats, the Ashes urns have slipped away from England’s hand but it seems like a single win is even further away from them. Ben Stokes and his men arrived at the historic MCG chasing redemption, only for their batting to collapse into yet another crushing setback.
While bowling first, they gave a dreamy start as the Australian batting lineup crumbled against Josh Tongue’s bowling dominance. Riding the lively MCG surface, they bundled the hosts out for just 152, unaware that an even harsher nightmare was waiting with the bat.
Coming to bat in the first innings, England lost four wickets in just 16 runs. The Aussie bowlers tightened their grips as England failed to make any crucial partnership. The pitch England once ruled turned into their biggest enemy. Reeling at 91 for nine, they were left miles away from setting any meaningful target for Australia.
