Michael Vaughan Calls Out MCG Pitch Following Dramatic Opening Day Collapse on Boxing Day

Echoing their criticisms of the Perth pitch, England legends Michael Vaughan and Stuart Broad have heavily slammed the MCG surface.

Michael Vaughan Calls Out MCG Pitch Following Dramatic Opening Day Collapse on Boxing Day

Michael Vaughan slammed the Melbourne Cricket Ground surface, for its unpredictable movement. (via Indian Express)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

Ex-England captain Michael Vaughan and a host of other former players lashed out at the Melbourne Cricket Ground surface, after bowlers dominated on Day 1 of the fourth Ashes Test. Vaughan went to the extent of labeling the pitch as a ‘shocker’, due to its unpredictable movement. 

20 wickets tumbled on the first day of the Boxing Day Test. It now ranks as the joint third-highest wicket count to ever occur on the opening day of an Ashes Test, with the previous such instance dating back to 1909 at Old Trafford. Additionally, it was also the first time since the 1931-32 season that 20 wickets fell within a single day of a Test match hosted at the MCG, as bowlers exploited the surface movement.

The first day was filled with drama, after England skipper Ben Stokes opted to bowl first. The home side, having already secured the Urn, endured a batting collapse. The Three Lions, already without the services of ace pacer Jofra Archer due to an injury, managed to bowl out the Aussies for a first innings total of just 152 runs, in 45.2 overs. Josh Tongue took a five-wicket haul, while Gus Atkinson claimed two wickets.

Australian all-rounder Michael Neser, after contributing 35 runs with the bat, joined Mitchell Starc in a devastating new-ball assault that left the English top order in tatters at 4/16. They removed Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacon Bethell, and Joe Root in quick succession. Despite a 41-run knock from Harry Brook, England succumbed to a total collapse for 110 runs, as Neser finished with 4/45, supported by Starc’s 2/23 and Scott Boland‘s 3/30.

With analysts calculating that a majority of the deliveries on the first day at the MCG moved more than 0.75 degrees, it left many former cricketers irked. Michael Vaughan, while acknowledging the fact that the almost 100,000-strong crowd in Melbourne was ‘entertained’, insisted the pitch was inappropriate for Test cricket.

Vaughan suggested the MCG surface on Day 1 behaved shockingly, while also noting that the ball nipped off the surface faster when the home team bowled. He said on BBC’s Test Match Special:

The pitch is a shocker. For a Test match first day, it’s just done far too much. It’s actually done it quicker when Australia bowled, it just seems to be nipping quicker.

Vaughan also talked about having a fair balance between the bat and the ball in a Test match. Australia now have a 46-run lead over their opponents, and scored four runs in their second innings after being forced to come out to bat for an over on Day 1. 

Michael Vaughan stands by Ben Duckett, refuses to condemn England players after viral ‘drunk’ footage

Former England captain Michael Vaughan, who was the leader of the Three Lions side which created history in 2005 by winning the Ashes, showed support for the current lot. Vaughan refused to criticize Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell, after ‘drunk’ videos of the two players went viral on social media. 

Ben Duckett Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan refused to blame Ben Duckett over viral ‘drinking’ video. (via MSN)

The incident occurred at the end of the second 2025-26 Ashes Test between Australia and England in Brisbane. A long break allowed the Three Lions to enjoy a retreat at a holiday resort in Noosa. England’s already struggling Ashes campaign faced a hit, after a viral clip showed opener Ben Duckett appearing ‘excessively drunk’. Another clip featured all-rounder Jacob Bethell partying and dancing with strangers.

While others have taken to criticizing the English players, Michael Vaughan showed caution. The 51-year-old did not take a hit at the players, but instead blamed ‘cricket’ as the reason for the drinking culture in cricket teams across the world. He noted that Duckett should not be reprimanded, but added that the team should have prepared for the pitches rather than the holiday retreat to Noosa. 

[Ben] Duckett should not be reprimanded at all on the evidence we have seen, and neither should the other players, because it is a wider issue: the game of cricket has created this drinking culture.

The Three Lions will be looking for a miracle in the fourth Test. England could only score 110 runs in the first innings of the fourth Test in Melbourne, despite having managed to restrict the home side to a paltry first innings total of 152 runs.

Also Read: