"I was in a state of shock” - MCG curator opens up as the fourth Ashes Test ends in two days

The Melbourne Cricket Ground's (MCG) chief curator, Matt Page, was left in a "state of shock" when the fourth Ashes 2025–26 Test between Australia and England concluded in two days.  

Twenty wickets were taken on the first day of the two-day match, for a total of 36 wickets. Some seasoned cricket players voiced their dissatisfaction with the pace-friendly track after England's victory, citing the lack of fifties for the batters.

Australia was bowled out for 152 runs as Josh Tongue got 5/45 after England won the toss and decided to bowl first on a hot Melbourne pitch. In response, Scott Boland claimed three wickets and Michael Neser claimed four, bowling out England for 110 runs.

In the second innings, Australia managed to score 132 runs, with Travis Head leading the way with 46. Ben Stokes claimed three wickets, while Brydon Carse claimed four. With 175 runs still to win, England approached the chase carelessly.

In under two days, England scored 178/6 and triumphed by four wickets thanks to a 40 from Jacob Bethell.

“We will learn from it”- MCG pitch curator Matt Page after fourth Ashes 2025-26 Test ends in two days

England won the match by four wickets after taking an additional sixteen wickets on the second day. After the quick conclusion, MCG curator Matt Page expressed his hope that he would never participate in another Test of that kind.

"I was in a state of shock after the first day to see everything that happened. Twenty wickets in a day-I have never been involved in a Test match like it, and hopefully never will be again.

It was a rollercoaster ride for two days to see everything unfold. But we will learn from it, we will grow from it, we will get better at it, just like we have over the past years. I have no doubt we will come back bigger, better, and stronger than we have done," Page told SEN Cricket.

Even though he was disappointed that the Test ended in just two days, Page explained the reasoning behind making the pitch bowler-friendly.

"This year, we have produced a pitch that has favoured the bowlers more than the batters. We had a lot of hot weather leading into last year, which makes it easier for us to control our moisture leading in. We left more moisture in the top of the pitch last year to provide that contest early in the game. 

We felt that we had the balance really good leading into that game. This year we went in with 10 millimetres as we knew we were going to get a lot of hot weather at the back end of the game," he added.

Here is the video:

https://twitter.com/kayosports/status/2005049095295996243

With a 4-wicket victory, MCG broke England's 15-year wait for an Ashes Test victory in Australia. Sydney will host the fifth and final Test starting on January 4.

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