152, 110 and 132. These are not the highest individual scores of any player. These are the scores registered in three innings of the ongoing fourth Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The Boxing Day Test has turned out to be an embarrassment for Australia as they registered their third-lowest match aggregate in Tests since 2000. Moreover, they batted only for 79.5 overs across two innings, their lowest since 1928 and third lowest overall in terms of balls faced.
Notably, Australia faced the fewest deliveries across both innings in a Test match at the very same venue (MCG) back in 1904 and 121 years later, history repeated itself with the pitch turning out to be close to impossible to play for the batters. Australia scored 152 and 132 runs in two innings, batting for 45.2 and 34.3 overs, facing only 479 balls for 20 wickets.
The last time they were bundled out for fewer deliveries was back in 1928 in Brisbane, when they batted for only 457 balls.
Least balls faced by Australia across both innings in Tests since 1900
360 vs ENG, Melbourne, 1904
457 vs ENG, Brisbane, 1928
464 vs ENG, The Oval, 1912
479 vs ENG, Melbourne, 2025
499 vs WI, Port of Spain, 1995
30 wickets fall in less than five sessions at MCG
The Boxing Day Test is supposed to be a massive event in Australia’s cricketing calendar. Last year during the Border Gavaskar trophy between India and Australia, the Test match went down to the last session on Day 5. But the surface for the Ashes witnessed 30 wickets go down in less than five sessions and the pitch is set to come under massive scrutiny with former England captain Michael Vaughan calling it a joke too.
“This pitch is a joke. This is selling the game short. The players / Broadcasters and more importantly the fans. 26 wickets in 98 overs !!!!! #Ashes,” Vaughan wrote on X.
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