Emirates ICC Elite Panel of match referees Jeff Crowe announced the final verdict and explained the rationale behind the decision.
“The MCG pitch was too much in favor of the bowlers. With 20 wickets falling on the first day, 16 on the second day and no batsman reaching even a half-century, the pitch was ‘Unsatisfactory’ as per the guidelines and the venue will receive one penalty point,” Crowe stated, as quoted by the ICC.
For the inexperienced, the match finished in just 852 deliveries, making it the fourth shortest completed Ashes Test with balls. The opening match in Perth took 847 balls, five fewer deliveries than the MCG encounter, as no batsman could get himself onto a pitch highly conducive to bowling due to the layers of grass on the deck.
Australia And England both completed their respective first innings on Day 1. The tourists eventually opened up a 46-run lead by the end of the opening day, before a further 16 wickets fell on the second day, while England secured a four-wicket win in the third session of the day. Josh Tongue won the Player of the Match award for his seven-wicket haul (5/45 and 2/44).
There were only three instances where players exceeded the 40-point mark. The first Test played out in similar fashion, only with the opposite result as Australia had recorded an eight-wicket win in Perth in a similarly low-scoring match. The fifth and final match of the series will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 4. The hosts have led the series with a 3-1 lead.
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