The Melbourne Cricket Ground, that is enveloped in the recent Ashes Test controversy, is no stranger to wicket-related issues as experienced in 1954-55, 1980-81, 2003-04, and 2017-18

England’s Jacob Bethell takes evasive action on the controversial Melbourne pitch during the second day of the fourth Ashes Test match on December 27. Pic/Getty Images

Not for the first time has the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) pitch been the focus of attention. The recent Ashes Test match there was a joke which didn’t amuse either spectators or pundits, who got just two days of action. England with their trademark Bazball approach won in the end, and all that this two-day finish did was to infuse a little life into an otherwise one-sided Ashes series. The extra grass kept by the curator tilted the game totally in favour of the bowlers and proved to be a nightmare for the batsmen.

Rarely does Australian cricket provide an example of a comedy of errors. The Australian pitch authorities didn’t want to repeat what happened in the 2017-18 Ashes Test, where only 24 wickets fell across five days in a dull draw, but look what happened here. Cricket lovers have always welcomed speed, be it from fast bowlers or the fast pace of the game, but things went too far in the last Boxing Day Test; the charm of Test cricket blown away by a vicious storm.

The MCG pitch also came into sharp focus across the 1980-81 season. Prior to that, the Test match in 1954-55, when Australia were beaten by a typhoon who answered to........

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