Boxing Day Test day one as it happened: Twenty wickets fall on historic opening day, questions raised about green pitch

Cricket experts are criticising the green-topped MCG pitch after 20 wickets fell on the opening day of the Boxing Day Test.

The Australians were bowled out for 152 before the tea break as the English bowlers exploited a surface that allowed considerable sideways movement off the seam.

The English were then rolled for 110 in a game that is now already into its third innings and in serious doubt of making it into a third day. Australia will start day two at 0-4 in its second dig - night watchman Scott Boland on four, and Travis Head yet to face a ball.

“There will be a discussion at the end of the day’s play about the pitch and there will be articles written about the pitch whether it’s a good pitch, whether it’s a bad pitch,” cricket commentator Mark Howard said on Kayo Sports’ live Ashes coverage.

Former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee said the pitch had too much in it for the bowlers.

“Well, I use the word sporty, and I’ve often said, ‘look it’s a batsmen’s game, we’re here to see batsman score runs’, but I think it’s a bit too sporty in my opinion,” Lee said.

“I think there’s a little bit too much in it.”

Lee said the 10mm of grass on top of the pitch at the start of the day’s play presented a “furry sort-of feeling”.

“I rubbed my hand on the side of the wicket this morning, and you can actually feel the grass lift up,” he said.

Howard said the batters were the first to notice the unusual conditions this morning.

“There were raised eyebrows as the majority of batters from both sides looked at the pitch,” he said.

Australian women’s wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy and the partner of fast bowler Mitchell Starc said she liked the surface.

“I personally like it,” she said. “I love seeing fast bowlers charge in, get something out of the surface, give themselves some confidence as well l like that.

“And it’s always the way when wickets fall too quickly that we speak about the wicket.

“It’s a hot topic of conversation in our household, it’s never how good the bowling is, it’s always about how bad the batting is when we talk about the wicket.”

They’ve been playing Test cricket at the MCG since 1877, and this is just the fourth time 20 wickets have tumbled in one day. And the first time in almost a century.

But each of those previous occasions were before the advent of covers to protect the pitch from weather.

The most wickets ever in a day at the ’G was the 25 that fell on January 1, 1902. On that day, Victor Trumper opened the batting and was out second ball of the day as Australia were routed for 112. England, in turn, managed just 62, and Australia were 5-48 at stumps.

But from there, the tempo of the game changed, as Australia managed 353 to lay the platform for a 229-run win.
Eight years earlier - on December 29, 1894 - 20 wickets fell.

England batted first and were bowled out for 75, and by the close of play Australia had also been dismissed (for 123). England won that match by 94 runs.

On February 12, 1932, South Africa were bowled out for 36, dismissed Australia for 153 (with Donald Bradman unable to bat because of injury) and found themselves 1-5 at stumps.

Despite the rapid-fire start, the game didn’t wrap up as quickly as you might think. There was no play on day two and February 14 was a rest day. By the time the teams returned to the ’G on February 15, the game did end in a hurry, with the South Africans bowled out for 45.

Australia will open this second innings with Victorian Scott Boland and Travis Head.

It will be a heart-in-mouth moment as Boland faces the first ball to try and protect the top order.

He is coming off a golden duck in the first innings.

The MCG crowd has erupted on seeing Boland stride to the wicket.

Gus Atkinson to bowl.

England have passed 100 runs with nine wickets down after tailender Gus Atkinson slaps a tennis-like shot straight up the ground for a boundary.

Atkinson has launched a late-innings cameo with 24 runs off 20 balls. Josh Tongue is on one.

Every run is like gold as they chase Australia’s first-innings total of 152.