The Boxing Day Test between Australia and England concluded within two days on December 27 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Since then, there has been a major controversy regarding the pitch and how it overly favored the pace bowlers. The International Cricket Council (ICC) published the MCG pitch rating and deemed it as ‘unsatisfactory’ on Monday.

How’s 2025 Boxing Day Test Result?

The 4th Ashes Test witnessed England winning their first game in the series. Batting first, Australia posted a 152-run total, and England could only score 110 runs in response. Australia fell like nine pins in the second innings, as they were all out for 132. The visitors successfully sealed the 175-run chase with four wickets left. Let’s take a detailed look at the controversy surrounding the Boxing Day Test result.

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Financial Losses to CA After the 4th Ashes Test

Jeff Crowe of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees explained the decision with a strong statement. According to him, the key reason behind the pitch being unsatisfactory is 20 wickets falling on the first day, and 16 on the second day, with no batter even scoring a fifty.

THE 3 MILLIMETRES THAT COST CRICKET $10 MILLION

12 months ago, the MCG produced one of the great recent Tests down under.

This time, a change you’d need a magnifying glass to see has cost Aussie cricket dearly.

‘SHORT TESTS ARE BAD FOR BUSINESS’ >> https://t.co/WvRQZyr1T0 pic.twitter.com/hYhem0jIKL

— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) December 27, 2025

After being invited to bat first, Australia started well. However, the 27-run opening partnership was broken by Gus Atkinson, as he dismissed Travis Head. The breakthrough opened the floodgates for England, as Josh Tongue secured back-to-back wickets in consecutive overs. The middle order contributed most of the runs, with Michael Neser (35) emerging as the top-scorer. Tongue’s fifer restricted the hosts to a 152-run total. On the other hand, England sustained a major collapse, as they were at 16/4, thanks to Mitchell Starc and Neser. However, Harry Brook (41) played a vital knock to keep England in reach, as they hit 110 runs in the first innings of the 4th Ashes Test. Neser was the pick of the bowlers for Australia with four scalps.

“It was an unfair contest”

Alastair Cook on the MCG pitch after a 20-wicket day 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/ESW6mT8LNy

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) December 26, 2025

With a lead of 42 runs, Australia had a chance to force the Boxing Day Test result in their favor. But a mix of bad shots and pace-conducive pitch resulted in them getting all-out for 132. Travis Head scored 46 for Australia, while Brydon Carse was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets for England. Zak Crawley (37), Ben Duckett (34), and Jacob Bethell (40) took the Ben Stokes-led side home for the first time in the series.

BREAKING

An Australian ground will be penalised under the current ICC system for the first time >> https://t.co/QzurC7hF5c pic.twitter.com/tJ4ACu0FbL

— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) December 29, 2025

An attendance of 94,199 broke the all-time single-day record at the MCG, which was witnessed on Day 1. Due to the early Boxing Day Test result, Cricket Australia is eyeing a major financial loss of around AUD$10 million. A crowd of over 90,000 was expected on the third day as well, but the board has decided to offer refunds to the spectators. In particular, Cricket Australia will see a major cut in their sales of merchandise, food, and drinks. Earlier, Cricket Australia were already counting losses of around AUD$5 million after a two-day Perth Test.

“It’s going to kill Test cricket.”@MichaelVaughan spoke on the Ashes Debrief about the MCG pitch for the two-day Boxing Day Test.

📺 Watch in full on @BBCiPlayer. pic.twitter.com/vTtArAOtU9

— Test Match Special (@bbctms) December 27, 2025

Despite the lower possibility of the 4th Ashes Test extending to Day 3, the Melbourne Cricket Club had already discussed the alternatives to offer some entertainment to the fans. The players were likely to hit the ground even after the completion of the game to keep the fans hooked. According to reports, Cricket Australia is not insured for the game ending prematurely. The result sheds light on the pressure for the curators and the match officials to offer value to the sponsors and the fans.

Will Australia Face Any Form of Punishment After the MCG Pitch Rating?

The pitch had a 10mm grass cover on it, due to the hot weather being forecasted for the final three days of the 4th Ashes Test. Interestingly, 7mm of grass was left for the Boxing Day Test between India and Australia, which resulted in the game ending late on the fifth day.

JUST IN: ICC match referee Jeff Crowe has rated the MCG pitch that produced a two-day finish in the fourth Ashes Test as “unsatisfactory” pic.twitter.com/txvmjUeonS

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) December 29, 2025

Due to the MCG pitch rating termed as ‘unsatisfactory’, it received one demerit point. Notably, the ICC has a four-tier pitch rating system, and unsatisfactory defines a surface where there is an absence of even contest between bat and ball. MCG has received the “very good” rating for the last three Boxing Day Tests, which is the finest rating for a surface.

The ICC has ruled the MCG surface as ‘unsatisfactory’ after the Boxing Day Ashes Test and handed it a demerit point which will last five years.

If a venue receives six demerit points over a rolling five-year period it will be unable to stage international matches for 12 months… pic.twitter.com/u2aMi4Gws0

— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) December 29, 2025

If the pitch receives six demerit points, the ground will be banned from hosting any international games for 12 months. Meanwhile, a 24-month ban will be imposed on the venue if they accumulate 12 demerit points.