Prior to the Test, stand-in Australia captain Steve Smith described the pitch as “furry and green” and said “batters would have to be on their game”.
Speaking after his side were beaten, Smith said he was “not sure” why MCG head groundsman Matthew Page had opted to leave so much grass on the pitch for the Boxing Day Test – a marquee event in the Australian sporting calendar. Page will talk to the media on Sunday.
“We let them judge it and do what they see fit,” said Smith.
“I said before the game it looked like it was going to offer a fair amount and it probably did more than we thought it was going to.
“It’s tough as a groundsman, always looking for the right balance. Maybe if he took it from 10mm to eight it would have been a nice, challenging wicket, maybe a little bit more even. Groundsmen are always learning and maybe he’ll take something from that.”
Former England captain Michael Vaughan had criticised the MCG pitch after day one and said it had “done too much” and the result was an “unfair” contest between bat and ball.
Pitches and outfields that have hosted international matches are given a rating by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Following the 2017 Ashes Test on this ground, the MCG pitch was given a “poor” rating for being too friendly for batting. Only 24 wickets fell across the entire Test and England’s Alastair Cook made an unbeaten 244.
On this occasion, England batter Joe Root, who also played in 2017, said this pitch was “challenging” to bat on.
“The argument is was it too one-sided – bat v ball? People are more qualified to judge that,” said Root. “It was certainly challenging from my point of view.
“You have a world-class attack and the ball is moving a considerable amount. Your job is to get on the right side of the result.”