"If that was somewhere else in the world, there'd be hell on" - Ben Stokes' scathing assessment of MCG pitch after 4th Ashes 2025-26 Test

England captain Ben Stokes slammed the Melbourne wicket for the fourth Ashes 2025-26 Test despite his side's thrilling victory. On a surface heavily in favor of the seamers from the word go, both sides struggled to cope with the excessive movement and uneven bounce.

The hosts were shot out for a mere 152 in the 46th over in their first innings, followed by England succumbing for an even worse 110 in 29.5 overs in response. Australia's second innings was underway before the close of play on Day 1 as a result of a 20-wicket day.

The second day was no different, with the Aussies being bowled out for 132 in the 35th over and England pulling off a difficult run-chase of 175 with the loss of six wickets.

Talking about the pitch in the press conference after the match, Stokes said (via ESPN Cricinfo):

"Being brutally honest, that's not really what you want. Boxing Day Test match. You don't want a game finishing in less than two days. Not ideal. But you can't change it once 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."

Stokes was asked if he meant subcontinent pitches when he mentioned 'elsewhere in the world', to which he responded:

"It's your words, not mine."

It was the second two-day finish of the ongoing Ashes after the opening Test in Perth had similar scores, with Australia coming out on top.

"It's tough as a groundsman" - Steve Smith

Australian skipper Steve Smith was less critical of the MCG wicket despite admitting that the surface offered too much for the pacers. It was the seventh Ashes Test that ended inside two days and the fourth shortest Ashes Test with only 852 balls bowled.

"Obviously, it was a tricky one. Thirty-six wickets over two days, it probably offered just a little bit too much. It's tough as a groundsman. I think he's always looking for the right sort of balance, I suppose. But yeah, maybe if you took it from 10 [millimetres] to eight, it would have been a nice, challenging wicket, maybe a little bit more even, I suppose. But groundsmen are always learning, and yeah, he'll probably take something from that, no doubt, " said Smith (via the aforementioned source).

Despite the defeat in Melbourne, the hosts hold an unassailable 3-1 lead, having retained the Ashes with victories in each of the opening three Tests.

Follow IPL Auction 2025 Live Updates, News & Biddings at Sportskeeda. Get the fastest updates on Mega-Auction and cricket news

Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran