‘This pitch is humming’: Bouncy MCG deck prompts surprise eight-year first

When the covers were dragged off the MCG pitch on Sunday, Pat Cummins was greeted by one of the most beautiful sights in cricket.

When the MCG ground staff dragged off the centre wicket’s covers on Sunday morning, the players were greeted by one of the most beautiful sights in cricket – an old-fashioned green seamer.

Rather than the golden glow witnessed on most Australian decks, the MCG pitch was a brownish-green with a thick layer of grass cover – 11 millimetres to be exact.

Conditions were overcast in the Victorian capital, with a light sprinkle of rain delaying the toss by 30 minutes.

Australian debutant Scott Boland, who has averaged 13.22 in first-class cricket at the iconic venue since 2018, would have been licking his lips in anticipation.

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Both captains wanted to bowl first, but the coin fell in favour of returning Australian skipper Pat Cummins. The paceman failed to hide his relief.

“Did I hear that correctly?” former Test wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist asked after Cummins sent England in to bat. A loud roar echoed around the venue – it was the first time an Australian captain had elected to bowl first on home soil in eight years.

England captain Joe Root confessed he would have made the same call.

“It’s going to move off the seam,” former Australian quick Damien Fleming warned on Channel 7. “The spinners are going to get turn here on day one.”

Queensland great Matthew Hayden continued: “I can‘t believe how grassy that is.

“Boxing Day usually as a batsman here at the MCG, you have a party. Today? I don’t know, I’d be nervous.”

Over on Fox Cricket’s coverage, Aussie cricket icon Shane Warne exclaimed: “In 30 years of coming here and watching cricket at the MCG, I’ve never seen the pitch so green.

“I wanted to get the lawnmower out this morning.”

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Crikey it's green #ashes 👀 pic.twitter.com/NFUIACrA1l

— Isabelle Westbury (@izzywestbury) December 25, 2021

This pitch is HUMMING through. Pace, bounce, carry. 🙌🏽

Curators cop a lot when things go wrong, but everything I’ve seen from @MCG’s Matt Page has been so good for Test Cricket since taking over. Bravo. #Ashes@7Cricket

— Trent Copeland (@copes9) December 26, 2021

Have been told there’s 11mm of grass on the pitch. Make of that what you will. #ashes

— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) December 25, 2021

Four years ago, Australia and England competed at the MCG on a verified highway for the previous Boxing Day Test.

It was a batter’s paradise – there was nothing on offer for the bowlers, and Melbourne’s spectators witnessed one of the dullest Ashes contests in living memory.

Opener Alistair Cook compiled an unbeaten 244 in a classy 634-minute marathon, while Australian skipper Steve Smith brought up an effortless century of his own on day five. Only 24 wickets were taken over five days of action.

The pitch was branded “poor” by the International Cricket Council – pundits were genuinely questioning whether the Victorian capital should still host the sport’s marquee fixture.

“The nature of the pitch did not change over the five days and there was no natural deterioration,” ICC match referee Ranjan Madugalle said at the time.

“As such, the pitch did not allow an even contest between the bat and the ball.”

The Australian players were also unimpressed.

“The Ashes Test and the (2018) Indian Test at the MCG a couple of years ago were pretty flat and boring wickets as a bowler,” Cummins said last summer.

“They’re the best wickets, when it’s a good battle between bat and ball. You feel like if you do your skill well, you can have a big impact on the game.”

Thankfully, MCG curator Matt Page has since taken action.

Zak Crawley of England. Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Page and his team removed cement from the bottom of the drop-in pitch’s tray and tinkered with the make-up of the clay content.

Subsequently, the past two Boxing Day encounters have been considerably more enjoyable for fans, with the MCG wicket providing early movement off the deck.

Two years ago, New Zealand seamer Trent Boult clean bowled Aussie opener Joe Burns in the Boxing Day Test’s opening over with a delivery that hooped through the gate and crashed into the pegs.

Last summer, Indian quick Jasprit Bumrah terrorised Australia’s top-order at the MCG with a world-class spell that ended Burns’ Test career.

And on Sunday, it was quickly apparent that the Melbourne spectators were once again in for a treat.

Australian gloveman Alex Carey accepted Mitchell Starc’s first delivery at chest height with fingers pointing up. There’s bounce on offer here.

At the other end, Cummins got a delivery to viciously deck back into Haseeb Hameed’s thigh guard. Yep, definitely bounce.

Two balls later, Hameed fended at a full delivery that seamed away from the right-hander, catching the outside edge and carrying though to Carey behind the stumps.

Soon after, Cummins found the edge of Zak Crawley’s bat with a length delivery that jagged away from the returning England opener. Cameron Green made no mistake at gully.

Nathan Lyon’s first delivery of the match jumped off the pitch and Steve Smith immediately threw an arm up at first slip, indicating to the Aussie spinner that there was additional bounce.

Curators sometimes don’t get the recognition they deserve, but hats off to Page and his team. This was a belter.